Why Bad Hires Harm More Than Your Bottom Line

Who has not heard the horror stories about the great applicant who turned out to be a really bad hire? No matter how tight the screening process, there are always some applicants who make it through the process with flying colors and who later turn out to be a bad fit for the organization. Bad hires come in many forms. It could be the person who has the skills, and is just not a good fit for the organization's culture. It could be someone whose skills are just not up to the assignments. In fact, it could be any one thing or any combination of factors. Before you think that a bad hire can only harm your company's bottom line; think again.

Bad hires can lower employee morale

Imagine an employee with all the right skills, but the wrong attitude? The old adage or one bad apple spoiling the whole bunch can become a reality in your company if a bad hire comes in with a rotten attitude. In some cases where the bad hire has the ear of the manager, which happens, the rest of the team might have to suffer, while the new employee gets his or her way. Before long company morale suffers. Although it is still possible to keep productivity up while morale goes down, managers should be aware of the potential impact on morale when they make bad hires.

Bad hires can ruin your reputation as a manager

A bad hires can kill a manager's reputation over night. In some cases managers recognize the bad hiring decision early and take steps to minimize the cost to company in terms of recruiting, benefits and training costs. Sometimes it is not so easy to correct a bad hiring decision and the manager who made the hiring decision could be on the hook for a long time. The hiring manager could lose respect and trust of both colleagues and higher level managers. Getting input on hiring decisions is one way to lower the risk of any one manager having all the responsibility for bringing a bad hire on board.