In spite of all your best efforts, sometimes a hiring mistake happens. They may have felt like the perfect choice throughout the interview process, but once they begin to work on the job you recognize how bad a fit they really are. Cultural fit is a top concept in today’s work place. And while some experts warn to be careful not to use cultural fit as a means to discrimination, used properly it can help you hire the best candidates for the job. If your new hire just isn’t fitting in with the team and culture of your job, what do you do? Here are some tips for handling this delicate situation on the job.

• Spell out what it means to be a fit. When new employee is let go from a new job, they are hoping the hiring company will give them some feedback to help them in the future. Simply stating they are “not a fit,” can be infuriating and unhelpful for the individual. Provide more to help them understand. If you can, use information about successful employees to describe what you were looking for in a new team member.
• Show concern for their future. When you do reject a new employee, give them information to help them move forward. Let them know what you did like about their background, but be honest about what is not working out on the job. Be positive about what they do bring to the table. Demonstrate that you are concerned about their long term well-being and goals. They probably already know it themselves.
• Help them in any way you can. If you can, provide contacts or referrals to other opportunities. If you utilize an agency, refer them to your recruiter to help them continue their job search. Connect them to people you know on LinkedIn. Follow up with them if you hear of other opportunities that might be a better fit. Burning bridges can go both ways, so avoid negative feedback from their experience.
• Use this experience to move forward. When you do let an employee go because you don’t feel they are a good fit in your office environment, use that information to fine tune your process. Continually update and formalize your company’s cultural description and mission statement. If there are aspects of candidates that you find don’t work in your environment, make a note of that. You can avoid a bad hire in the future this way.

Are you concerned about hiring new employees that fit into your office culture? We have recruiting offices located in Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles and Orange County, so contact us now!