S6 E8 Identify and Fix Mismatched People and Processes Early- Lisa Askwith- Engaging Your People for Success

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Introduction

People are the powerhouse behind everything, they are an intrinsic part of your business, and your everyday life. If you can't engage and work with them in a mutually beneficial style then everything suffers.

I passionately believe in not only ensuring your people are engaged, but in putting people at the centre of the work equation. Whilst the business, or product, or service, is still vitally important, it is the people that will ultimately make or break your company's success. If you have people or processes in your business that are a mismatch, it means your business cannot meet its full potential. If left unchecked the business and the culture can be badly impacted, as people tend to embed themselves and develop a poor culture around them to keep them safe in their roles. This is often a hidden area in any business, yet it can cause so much damage and needs to be prevented from happening, or fixed quickly if already well established.

I will take you through the steps for giving you many different ways in which you can structure your business to make sure that you can avoid hiring mismatches, and if you do, or already have them, allow you to remove them as quickly as possible.
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Throughout my career, I have helped many businesses in this area. Sadly it is a common issue that can have massive negative impacts on both the culture and people, as well as the finances. However, there are several robust steps that you can put in place to prevent this, and ultimately eliminate it from your business.  You can have great processes and great products, but the execution of your business plan is dependent on the people in your organization.  The growth of your company is dependent on the people within your organization, and the underlying processes which support them. So this is a key area that really needs your focus and attention to ensure it is working for you.
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Show Objectives
If your hiring decisions have been 100% correct, then you are in rare territory.  Most organizations experience some type of “people” issue at some point  in their hiring processes. The new hire, for whatever reason, is not the person for the job or the organization.  Sometimes this is easily resolved with training but what happens when it festers and nothing is done? What you do when you realize that there is a mismatch between the employee and the business, is critical for everyone's success. There are steps you can put in place to prevent this from happening in the future, and to manage it if it is already happening in your business.  Regardless of the situation that you find yourself in, you want to have a system, and processes in place that allow for quick decisions, and successful resolutions. 

A business mismatch is not just people and beliefs, it can also be processes and implementation. Both are key parts of what can make or break your business. Never forget to look deeper and examine the processes in your business, are they really as effective as they used to be, or has time and technology also made them a mismatch in your business? HINT- If you have been using the same process for over 5 years, you are missing an opportunity in your business to re-examine and change it to suit your current needs.

Don't forget this key area, as it can be a major part of your cost improvement plan. Often old processes are more costly than you realise. It's easy to investigate them and the results can be amazing!!!

Key Issues to review- People and Recruitment Focus

1. Do the standard operating procedures and positions contain clear performance standards?
2. Are performance 1:1 meetings occurring between leaders and their direct reports?
3. Is there documentation on performance? 
4. Is there a policy or informal rule for 'probation'? 
5. Is there an arbitration clause in employment contracts?
6. Make the decision sooner rather than later, focus on performance

People mismatches and how to avoid them

• Who owns the people process?....or do you even have a people process
• Does your Organisation chart really match how the people in the business are managed? Is there accountability for this?
• Who monitors new starters?
• How are performance reviews structured?
• Is there a clear induction process with steps that need to be achieved?
• Do your employment contracts clearly outline legal implications, such as probation, arbitration, appeals, etc.
• Who reviews long serving members?
• KPI’s? Do they include agreed behavioural ones?
• JD’s?  Are they clear and followed by appraisals?
• Is there a culture that governs what is acceptable or is there a charter?
• Are staff held accountable?
• Is mentoring available?
• Who is accountable for addressing ‘people’ issues?
• Is the hiring manager fully involved in the entire process?

There is a huge range of areas around people that need a robust and clear plan, documentation, and support, to ensure you can identify and remove any mismatches as soon as possible. After years in business I can confidently say that it is much better to act sooner on this key issue, rather than later.


What You Need to Do

1. Determine the cause of the mismatch.  Is this a mismatch or simply a miscommunication?
2. Develop a plan for corrective action.  This plan should be developed in consultation with the employee.  Address the performance problem not the problem of the “person.”
3. Document and communicate the plan with the employee in writing
4. Execute the plan 
5. Evaluate progress
6. Problem Solved, or Is it time for termination or reassignment.
7. Review your existing Recruitment and Retention process to update or fill in any gaps that were discovered while evaluating the cause of the mismatch.
8. Make sure that you have clauses in your contract that allow for a probationary period which will make it easier to terminate if a mismatch is found during the start of the employment period.

It's not just a great recruitment plan that helps you be able to prevent, or quickly recognise a mismatch in your business. There are 2 other critical steps you must be in control of, and have a robust structure around- On Boarding and Probation.

Good Onboarding

• Done by the hiring manager
• Clear weekly agenda
• Time spent with the person to ensure any required training is clear and being utilized.
• Hiring manager to review all training with the new employee as it is finished/passed.
• Clear program set out for the entire length of probation, and run by the hiring manager- milestones, expectations and meetings.
• For the first week, the hiring manager should meet with the new employee daily at a minimum.
• For the entire length of probation the program should ensure the new employee has weekly/bi-weekly meetings with the new manager to review their feelings of settling in, success, training, needs, general work ability. Including 2 way feedback
• Fixed probation review meeting with workplace expectations that are clear and able to be reviewed.
• Clear objectives     
• Most importantly- document everything!!!!

Probation

This can be your saving grace, and should be used if the employee is not meeting the standards required

• In Job Contract
• Clear and legal terms
• Enforceable
• Monitored during entre length of Induction
• Hiring manager responsible for deciding on sign off and reviews
• Clear objectives to be met
• Include behavioral objectives to ensure the culture is upheld
• Clear steps in terms of feedback and opportunity to improve

Mismatches can thrive in a business if not checked regularly. Don't make this mistake in your business, make sure you have clear communication protocols and reporting set up from day 1. It simply makes everything else easier, and allows your business to thrive rather than stagnate.

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Written by Lisa Askwith
Director of ApexBRS | ApexBRS, Regional Director of See Global Media, Chair of  EGN Singapore, and Associate Professor Cambridge Corporate University | At the Age of Change, providing the HR component of the Global Executive MBA and BBA. Lisa has worked for some of the largest companies in the world and successfully led restructures and change management programs in order to improve the bottom line through engaging the people for success, while developing exceptional leaders who can make a positive impact on Culture and long term business sustainability.

You can connect with Lisa on any of her platforms

LinkedIn Lisa Askwith - Director - Apex BRS
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