Hiring the wrong people will cost you

When you’re building a company, a lot of moving parts go into the equation – it’s not just product and vision, but the people on staff, too. Hiring the wrong people can adversely affect the business in ways that many can’t compute, the long-term impact can be felt long after someone has left the job. 

Finding the best talent for long-term employment requires a focus, but also a defined plan of what success looks like. Steve Jobs once said, “The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.”

And because of that mantra, companies like Apple have succeeded in unfathomable ways, because instead of hiring just anyone, they literally sought the world for the best of the best. The thing is, most companies don’t have Apple’s checkbook. But HR, managers, and leaders can take stuff from Steve Jobs’s point of view – to invest wisely in who gets to join the team, who will leave their mark on the culture of the company. It’s essential to keep a few metrics in mind with hiring, for finding those diamonds lost in a sea of applicants: 

Hiring the wrong person will cost you 

According to Fast Company, a bad hire can cost anywhere from $25,000 to $50,000. The reason the cost is so high is that when it comes to recruiting online, interviewing, and then onboarding, all of that adds up. Those placement ads aren’t cheap, and when someone quits, starting the process all over again can be taxing. When you hire for quality, you’ll get someone who can jump straight in and impact the team because the onboarding process won’t be long, but instead, this hire will be an experienced addition. 

 

The two biggest culprits when it comes to a bad hire, involve pre-employment screening: 

Companies need to test and research a candidate’s skill level thoroughly, so there’s no mistake in why they’re the perfect fit for the job. The second part of this is, do the reference checks! It seems easy, but if someone says they did a specific task, make the call and get a little perspective – see what the general vibe is from their previous employer, talk to the boss, get an idea of what’s happening.


Make sure they’re in it for the long-term

Where does someone see themselves in a few years? Are they committed to seeing the brand grow like you are? These are important things to keep in mind when hiring. Even if someone doesn’t have all of the skills, drive, and grit can transform a candidate. If someone loves their work, they’ll put in the hours to make sure what they give is fantastic. 

Are they a team player?     

It’s fine to have a few lone wolves so long as those loners understand people need to collaborate to achieve the big things. Employees have to function with coworkers. People eat lunch together, people talk, there are office events. A new hire needs to work within that fabric. 

These are just some of the things to think about when hiring a worker, but there’s also another way to go about getting new workers: try before you buy. If you’re looking for vetted, hourly workers, why not check out Adia? We have a community of folks ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work – in all kinds of industries. 

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