How often have you hired talent you think you need to drive your ‘new’ strategic direction, or to lift bottom-line results of your sales teams, only to have it end in disaster before you can reap any of the benefits?
You’ve invested time and money to search the market, attracted a stand-out performer, and feel excited about all of the positive changes they will make; changes others have failed to deliver in the past. With an impressive track record and lots of energy, you’re excited about the great impact they will have on your business and people. After all, they just executed a similar transformation in their last role.
So why is it that some candidates, with great references and experience, perform seemingly well in one business, yet cause chaos or fail to move past the starting line in another? The reasons can be complex – because humans and organisations are also complex.
Apart from the financial costs of a bad hire, a leader who fails to take time to build trust by first asking, listening and observing, can inadvertently leave behind a trail of collateral damage with customers, team members and critical stakeholders. What others see is someone driving a new agenda, with no concern for the backstory or for the implications of their actions. And when the cracks start to form, it becomes obvious that things aren’t working.
In our experience the fault is often put down to a poor cultural fit, which when prodded really means they weren’t liked, they were too aggressive, they were impatient, or they didn’t know how things were done.
But what if we consider the full situation? Could there be more to it than that?
It’s clear that how a person acts and what they do is what really matters! The behaviour of a new manager is a key driver of their performance, their impact and ultimately their success in a new organisation. We all do things that work for us in given situations, but if we are unable to adapt our behaviours and language to the needs of our new environment, our impact as a new manager will be less than adequate. Even the best intentions can go off course.
If an organisation decides to consciously bring in talent that will initiate change, what this often means is they’re deliberately looking for someone with a different experience, style, perspective or background than the incumbent. Their aim is to drive change or evolve a move away from the way things have been done until now.
It would be naïve, would it not, to think that those very sought-after differences would be embraced by all within the organisation — especially those who were happy with the status quo.
So, how can businesses ensure the disruption is a positive one, and that the new manager is prepped enough about the company culture to be able to successfully adapt?
Just hiring the person who has done it before, without doing the preparation work before they arrive, is risky because it ignores the critical final step of the hiring process — cultural onboarding!
A good onboarding process for hiring the right talent addresses the following key questions:
- Is your team ready and on board? Have you clearly communicated your purpose, outlined the benefits, and helped them visualise what the journey ahead will look like for them?
- Have you done the groundwork to prepare all critical stakeholders for the new arrival and briefed them on your vision, including their part?
- Have you considered and set up the necessary conditions for your new manager to be successful? Who else do you need to involve in the onboarding program and beyond?
- What are your plans to culturally assimilate them into your business (systems, processes, history, values) and with your key customers and suppliers?
- Are you ready to step in when you need to, but also step aside?
- Will you be brave enough to step in early if things aren’t working, have the transparent and tough conversations, and if things do not work out, make the call?
Transitioning and setting up any new addition to your organisation involves time, effort and a well thought through plan. The more business critical the role, the higher the stakes!
A successful hiring process starts and ends with a well-considered process — one that both envisages and defines what success looks like but also lays the foundations for it to be realised.
Cement the long-term value of your hiring investment. about hiring the right talent for today and tomorrow for your organisation.
