Recruitment isn’t a guessing game or a reality TV show.
Recruiting people to work has important repercussions for both the business and the candidate. It’s not an action that should be taken lightly, without a plan as to how to move forward.
Ultimately, hiring staff has one of two results: either the candidate is satisfactory and is satisfied with the role and kept on, or they are not. It’s the latter situation that we’re going to deal with in this post: being terminated is one of the most traumatic experiences in life, and it’s happened to almost everyone.
Whether an individual was happy with his job or not, being fired will always bring up feelings and questions about self-worth, competence, and one’s own financial future. In fact, The Holmes And Rahe Stress Scale rates dismissal from work as one of the top ten most stressful life events. And while people can be terminated due to their own lack of professionalism, unreliability, or insubordination, there are often issues on the side of the organization, which play a huge factor.
In early 2000, I was living with my husband and infant in Montreal, QC. Wanting to be closer to both of our families, I started applying for work in Toronto, ON. In no time at all, I landed a job with a Toronto-based marketing company that was looking for an Operations Manager for the launch of a new gaming console. Packing up my small family, I sold my first house and we made the move to the Big Smoke.
During the interview, the VP, Client Manager, and the Client’s Marketing Manager let me know that this was a new position for them, with absolutely zero structure for the position itself. There would be no training, no formal outline of my duties or responsibilities, and very limited support. Those were serious red flags that I should have paid more attention to but my personal desire to move was outweighing my career focus.
After two months of pure dedication, I asked for feedback to see if my manager was pleased and if there was any room for improvement. It was at that time—never before—that my manager told me I was not meeting their expectations. Making every effort to excel within a position that didn’t have a proper job description was challenging to say the least, and everyone else was so busy and overwhelmed by their own launch that they couldn’t offer me any advice. So, like a boat sailing in the dark, I looked for any beacon of light that would provide me with some guidance.
One week before my 25th birthday, my boat hit the rocky shore.
My employment was terminated at the end of my probationary period. I was devastated. How was it possible that I wasn’t meeting their needs when they didn’t even know what their actual needs were? I found out later that, within months of my termination, they had fired another manager in addition to our replacement hires. Clearly recruitment was a huge issue for them. It didn’t come as a huge surprise when I found out that the company itself went out of business shortly thereafter.
Hiring mistakes are very costly to the employee: I had sold my home in another city for this job. After I was fired (my husband was unemployed at the time), we had to sell our condo, sell our car, and move in with family. On an emotional level, I had nightmares for two years about the experience. It was an experience that shook me to my very core.
For managers and businesses, the cost of hiring mistakes include several financial losses: the cost that it takes to find, hire, and retrain someone, as well as the upheaval that it creates within the company. In my case, I remember being paid a lump sum, plus being asked to sign a letter that stipulated that I would not sue them. And I was only there 3 months! Imagine a longer term employee and what would have to happen if the company didn’t follow proper documentation, review and contract obligations?
The Solution
The same week I was let go, a fire was lit within me. I knew I wanted to carve out my own path and never leave my fate in the hands of others again. Yes, I was very hurt, but I was also very determined.
That whole experience has helped shape AGENTC™. I understand the absolute necessity of interviews and hiring processes to go well, and after years of research, I know the red flags to look for when recruiting. Recruitment isn’t just about “let’s give it a try”. There is too much at stake for both the company and the potential employee. A hiring manager’s inability to properly assess a candidate can create a huge calamity for both parties involved.
As a professional Recruitment Agency, we ensure that any red flags we see in either party are immediately addressed. We take the time to research and match both parties perfectly, because we know that recruitment shouldn’t be taken lightly, nor is it a guessing game. We have a proven track-record that our tested methods for successful recruitment work. It’s what we do best, and that’s why it’s important for both candidate and employer to have us represent them; because a buffer in the middle will ensure a successful beginning for both parties, greatly reducing the chances of someone having to say or hear the words: “You’re fired!”
