I’ve had several conversations lately with Executive Directors about staff. Some have openings that they need to fill and others have staff who need to be let go. Here’s what I told them: be slow to hire, quick to fire.
Take your time hiring and make sure you get the right person. It’s critical to the success of your organization to get the right people in the right spots. Hire for the skills you can’t train (like passion, commitment, etc.) and mentor your new hire for the rest.
When it’s time to let someone go, be brave and do it. Don’t ignore the problem and don’t fool yourself that it will get better. If you find yourself dreading interactions with a particular staff person, deal with it! Otherwise, it will suck your energy and slow down your organization’s momentum.
What do you think? Let’s hear your horror story about hiring and firing.
I absolutely agree with you that passion and commitment are key traits of a successful employee. Yet I have worked with too many organizations who are “quick to fire” and, as a result, have had 2,3,4 – yes 5 – development directors in a period of two years (and I’m here trying to clean up the mess). The result: no continuity in the development department. Development can’t be measured on last month’s grants – good development is about building thoughtful relationships over time. If an employee, particularly in development, is not measuring up, it might be best to first try shaking things up – with some educational opportunities or interacting more with clients to regain their commitment to the mission.
Oh Pamela, that’s terrible. Sounds like they were too quick to hire and weren’t hiring the right skill set. I totally agree with you that sometimes a little training goes a long way!