What to do with an incompetent employee?

Question

I am stuck in a hard position. My company just hired someone to work with me in my department. I was part of the interview process and agreed that it would be good to hire her. However, she has been on the job for almost 2 weeks now and I can tell that we've made a mistake. Her skills are not at all like what she said they were in the interview--she is barely computer literate. This job is a very fast-paced environment and while she said in her interview that she could handle it, I already have my doubts since she still can't do the most simple assignment. She is the second "bad hire" we've had in this position in the past 6 months.

I have the feeling that I should cut the strings now. But am I just not giving her a chance? What is the best way to handle this situation? I'm not "the boss," but my opinion is very loud and strong in this matter, so I could very well be making the call here.

Additional info: I have been giving her one-on-one training since she arrived, going slowly over every aspect. I have been careful not to show my frustration to her. The programs are not difficult--only Microsoft Word and Excel. She said she knew them "as a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10," but she can't open or save a document without help.

Answer 1

I understand your frustration. I am the Human Resources supervisor of my company and have a girl just like you assist me in the hiring process. In our company like many others we have what is called a " probation period" which is for 30 to 60 days. The employees sign it at the time of hire. One of the key elements is to prove that they posses the skills that they claim they have. It sounds to me like this lady has lied at her interview screening, claiming to have skills that are in fact not supported by her actions. I would let your supervisor know how you feel about this hire, and that she not helping you. Clearly your supervisor trusts you and has given you the open door to assist in hiring, so I am positive she will appreciate your input. She should then perhaps put something in writing giving her a 2 week period to shape up. I understand that being new at a job itself is overwhelming, but saying you type at a certain level and not meeting that, proves lack of commitment and honesty. In where she needs to told. I had a young man, who was not performing his duties, once I gave him a letter in writing giving him 2 weeks to shape up, he changed from night to day. He is now one of the most important assets to this company. Be patient. If this lady is not made for this position, then the right candidate will come in given time. Good luck.

Answer 2

I think you need to assess your hiring process for the next interview. You asked them what they would rate their skill in EXCEL on a scale of 1 - 10 and they said 10 and you believed them? That is silly. If you are asking for technical skills, you need to ask technical questions to see if they really know what they claim on their resume or in the interview. Someone with a 10 knowledge would know how to program code in EXCEL and be able to write a book on it. That was a red flag right away and you didn't even catch it.

It seems like there is a pattern of bad hires since this is the second bad hire in so many months. You need to revise the way you guys assess and do your interviews if you want to hire more competent employees.

If your company is like most companies, let the employee go at the end of the probation period and seriously look over how you guys do the hiring process. Looks like there is some serious problems there.

Answer 3

You need to let your supervisor know how this is going and make your recommendation. If the new employee does not have the fundamental skills to perform the job, she is unable to progress in the position or to be of value to the company. Did she *write* on the application that she was a "10 on a scale of 1 to 10" in her computer skills? If so, give her a performance test, and from the results, you can show that she lied on the application. Most applications state (in the signature area) that lying is grounds for immediate firing.
I recommend that, in the future, you give each applicant an assignment to complete in Word (ex.: have them write and produce a letter in response to a particular scenario -- in doing this, you will also be able to evaluate their writing and human relations skills) and in Excel (ex: have them format and produce a document, maybe with a couple of worksheets and some simple math formulas). Provide a workspace in your office area and give a time limit on completion of these assignments. Of course, you must tell interviewees when you set up the appointments that they should expect to complete these assignments and about how much time they should allow for the entire interview. Applicants who do not have the required skills will not accept the interview, knowing that they can't prove their skills. You can compare the skill levels of interviewees who *do* complete the process. Making the interview process more complex, you will also get an idea of how cooperative applicants are. This should help to alleviate the "bad hire" problem.

Answer 4

Talk to her. If she's the second "bad hire" the problem might be training & supervision instead of bad luck.
Tell her you've noticed that she has trouble with the assignments - are your instructions clear? Can you remove some distractions till she gets familiar with the work place?
It's normal for a new hire to have a learning curve. Did you think about ways to work her into the job or did you just throw her in there? Is the atmosphere too tense for her to focus?
I think you should back off a little bit. Reduce her workload to a point she can get it done. Then gradually increase it to where you want it to be.
You'll waste a lot more time by dismissing her & starting over with the interview process!

Answer 5

As a manager, I know how difficult it can be to judge interviews against the real people. Its an easy mistake to make I feel for you.

First of all, in regards to the employee you currently have, I would let her know that she is on a trial basis. Most companies have a probationary period so I would simply reiterate that to her. Let her know in a nice way, that you guys were expecting a higher skill level but that you would like to give her the chance to prove herself. Find out what she needs from you to be successful. For instance, maybe she is computer literate.. thats a very broad requirement... but she's just not literate in what you want her to do. Maybe she just needs some training on the new software or perhaps just some time to play with it a bit herself. Secondly, make sure you outline for her exactly what is going to be expected of her. A good training program lets new employees follow a step by step initiation to not only the duties but the company culture.

Lastly, I think because whether she ends up working out or not, you and your company may want to look at your recruiting and application methods. First off, is the wage that you are offering going to bring in the type of skilled employees you are looking for. If you're offering nine dollars an hour and are attempting to reel in a college degree you're going to be fishing for quite awhile.. or if you do get lucky and land one, they will leave as soon as they find a better job. Secondly, it sounds weird but ask a few oddball questions to get people to drop their guard during the interview. Questions like "whats your favorite movie or book" switch gears and force people off the rehearsed answers. My personal favorite, "if you could be any of the various animals on a merry-go-round which would you be and why?" This also helps you gain some insight into their personality and intelligence. If they answer "a pink pony because its kinda pretty", even with a college degree, you may want to run screaming for the hills because it shows no creativity and little insight. In addition, it may be wise to impliment some type of testing or go through an employment agencies looking for a temp to hire. This way you will be able to see what their skills are in typing and various office programs. If you do the employment agency thing, you can get rid of them guilt free if they dont work out and replace them with someone else quickly without going through the hassle of recruiting.

Hope this helps. The best thing I can add before I cut this long thing off is that whether this works out or not, look into your HR practices and make sure youre setting your employees up for success before you hire them.

Answer 6

In all fairness, talk to her, explain her progress is far less than what you expected, and you miust see some improvement immediately if she is to be retained.
If after a week there isnone, then terminateher. In that is the only choice,l the longer you puit it off the harder it is on both of you.
Also, it's time to review the hiring process.
What can be done so this does not happen again.?

Answer 7

You have said very little about her attitude

If she has a positive attitude and is enthusiastic I would have a tendency to keep trying for a while longer - she may just be a slow starter.

I would give her 2 more weeks then set down with her and ask her how she thinks she is doing - if she is weak she will say so and she will also offer how she thinks she can get better.

BTW - if she has a crappy attitude I would flush her now!

Answer 8

you are responsible as you are involve i the interview process. are you saying that you have made the wrong choice or judgement? then you are incompetent yourself. the new staff is only 2 weeks old, have you given her valuable advise on her progress? did you guide her on her word and give her proper training? you must put in practise the "Performance Management System (PMS)" to work and give the new staff sufficient time to progress before making a decision to cut the string. the new employee deserve her right for a 3 months probation period. be competent yourself.

Answer 9

I would try a few more things first then if that doesn't help, consider letting her go.
Try:
Offering to help clarify the job she is to perform. Maybe she didn't understand the requirements.
If the assignment are simple, are they the same? Repetitive type work will increase in speed.
Let her know that you are confused about her performance since she stated the ability to do the job.
And the old, but goodie, Be Nice. Are you transferring your anxiety over to her?

Answer 10

I say give it time, even two weeks more, sounds like she is still learning, I would think after a months time, if she has not improved, then figure something out. I have hired employees that had a rough start but after a months time, they did a 360. Everything changes..