When the Employee is Willing but Not Able

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As you looked over their resume, a slight smile came over your face.  The candidate had precisely the work experience and skills that you were searching for to fill your opening.  They came in for their interview, looking polished and professional, and answered every interview question with ease.  Their references offered glowing testimonials about their abilities.  A wave of relief washed over you as you came to the conclusion that they were the right person for the position.  Confident in your hiring decision, your heart leapt with joy when they accepted your job offer.

Then they started working for you.

“The phrase, ‘what you see is what you get,’ does not necessarily apply in regard to the hiring process,” said Jennifer Loftus, SPHR, CCP, CBP, GRP, National Director, Astron Solutions.  “Although a new hire may have an exceptional background and make an excellent impression, that doesn’t mean that they will adapt easily to the position and fulfill their responsibilities.”

But why does a new hire with so much potential and drive, fail?  Part of the reason could stem from the employee orientation. “Each employee is unique. Each has a preferred learning style, needs and interests. Begin your orientation process by taking the time to find out what each new employee thinks may help them understand what they need to know. Provide them with a list of key outcomes and materials and ask them to help you design their program. This process will rarely take over one hour (typically completed before the employee's first day). This will show that you care about their needs and the orientation process,” said Rick Galbreath, SPHR, in the SHRM White Paper, “Profiting through Employee Orientation.”

If you’ve taken the time to train your employee based on their specific needs yet they are still struggling, it may be wise to take a close look at the employee’s manager.  "Many managers just don't have the proper training needed to manage people," says Greg Smith, author of New Leader: How to Attract, Keep and Motivate Your Workforce, in the HR Magazine article, “Make Foresight 20/20.” "Leaders who are lousy will kill the company. You'll see people get promoted to manager because they've been at the company for a long time, but they haven't a clue about how to be a leader."

There is a chance that your employee’s poor performance is a result of lack of support from their manager.  Eventually, the poor performer will either be terminated or leave, someone else will be hired in their place, and the entire process will start over again, resulting in high turnover expense and low employee morale.  Exit interviews and opinion surveys are excellent ways to determine which managers may need training in order to help them improve their management skills.

Another possibility is that the employee just isn’t the right “fit” for the organizational culture. Smith offered the example of the hiring process at Southwest Airlines. “Eight pilots showed up in dark suits and ties for a job interview at Southwest Airlines. The interviewer told them that Southwest was a casual airline and asked if they would mind changing into khaki shorts that the company provided. Six of the pilots changed and two did not. Guess which pilots got the job?"  To avoid hiring someone who is the wrong fit, be sure to clearly and accurately communicate the organizational culture during the interview process.

Even if an employee is the right cultural fit, they still may fall short despite their best efforts.  Don’t be afraid to speak one-on-one with the poor performer and address the situation.  “Employees are naturally hesitant to share their insecurities or inabilities directly with you. It's important that you are observant and intuitive enough to determine whether a lack of knowledge or capability may be contributing to a performance problem,” explained Lin Grensig-Pophal in the SHRM White Paper, “Functional Feedback: Working with Performance-Challenged Employees.” Once you and the employee both understand what the problem is, you can then take the necessary steps to correct it.

As a last resort, termination procedures should be considered.  Keep in mind, however, that very, very few people set out to fail.  By getting to the root of the situation, and making every effort to help your “willing but unable” employee succeed, you too will be a success.