The solution driven HR

The world is a man’s world. When I say a man’s world, I mean both men and women.

Institutions or organizations that pride their strength as its people go very far. The success stories all over the world, families, nations, organizations, groups, teams etc does not exclude near misses, oversight, mistakes, learning curves, challenges etc and that’s beautiful. As an HR professional in a team, we do face some of these but the ability to turn it around and move on is key. Recently I came across a shared situation and though I have been in such a situation in my career before, this particular one gave me an urge to put this piece of knowledge together.

What do you do as an HR professional or practitioner when a candidate goes through the recruitment process of an organization and is successful. The said successful candidate is issued an offer and the offer is further negotiated and accepted by the candidate .HR further goes ahead to prepare an employment contract with corresponding policies and other required documentation. The successful candidate in turn signs all documentation and returns HR’s copy and awaiting start date to start work as stipulated in employment contract.

Few days to the start date of this employed candidate, HR receives heads up information from management or hiring manager that upon reviewing the need for the Position it’s decided that there will be no need to fill the position. Reason being the departmental organogram revealed that they could do without the said Position coupled with departmental budget control they would rather keep the department head count as it is until further notice. Employment start date is nigh and HR is expected to stop the said employee from starting work

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What does one do?

Before I share the following suggestions to curb such a situation, I would like to reiterate that in most companies HR is not the sole decision maker when it comes to hiring. The hiring managers are sole decision makers because they are the ones to work with their preferred candidate.HR provides the guidelines in policy to be followed and facilitate the whole process. The Finance would always confirm before the process starts to ensure that the budget to accommodate salary is available and captured. The Managing Directors or CEO’s usually gives approval for the Position to be filled through HR prior to the beginning of the recruitment process. This protocol must be observed in a structured set up.

Some of the solutions I brainstormed are as follows;

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Facts of the Scenario above:

??The said candidate is an employee based on the signed employment letter given.

??The candidate is able to report this as unfair treatment at the labour office and can sue.

??Emotional tremor on the side of the candidate

??Candidate have had to resign from his former employers -Double loss to employee.

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I will suggest that;

??A deliberate attempt to be made to reach out to candidate and have a difficult conversation by HR and Hiring manager about the situation. All concerns of the employee should be noted and addressed.

??If there is an internal legal department, both HR and hiring manager should deliberate on situation and seek advice.

??Check termination clause of employment contract and agree if it is viable to invoke termination clause without any consequences of the law. Choose your battles well.

??The hiring manager or management to find an alternative position that can be created.

??The organization and HR for that matter make a deliberate effort help the employee look for a job through their recruitment agencies.

??The opportunity cost of the name of the company name and management being dragged into labour courts or media, the company could agree on a compensation package for such a person to walk.