The New Hire Paradox

Do you remember what it was like to want a job so bad you could taste it? A job that you would do almost anything just to get a chance. Do you remember starting a new job with excitement, anxiety, and enthusiasm? A true mixed bag of emotions. The unknown made you nervous, but the fact that you were given the opportunity drove you to work hard to prove you were the right choice.

The excitement a new hire has for a new opportunity usually centers around one of the following:

• The opportunity to work for an organization that offers stability

• The opportunity to pursue a career in a chosen field

• The chance to work for a company with aligned values

• The opportunity to contribute to something bigger than self

• The opportunity to grow professionally

• The opportunity to work for a reputable and well-respected organization

• The opportunity to achieve personal and professional fulfillment

While there is usually excitement and motivation to perform at their best at the start of the employment relationship, all too often many new hires do not sustain that passion over their entire career. Those same people who would have given anything to have a job with their current employer find themselves unmotivated and lacking the same desire they had when the relationship began. They may still appreciate having their job but find it hard to stay motivated and give it their all.

Many times new employees are walked through an orientation program to satisfy HR requirements, placed into a role, given some high level direction and then handed the keys to the department and told to have at it. It's no different than giving a 16 year old the keys to the Corvette. Practices like this never end well.

When we analyze the many contributing factors to an employee’s waning motivation, in most cases it can be traced back to a few factors.

• Working in a position beyond their skills and ability

• Working in a position below their skills and abilities

• Working for a leader that fails to connect position and purpose

• Working for an organization or leader with conflicting values

• Lack of clear vision and purpose

• Lack of hope

All the contributing factors listed above have one common denominator beyond the employee, their leader. The organization’s leadership hires, places, develops, promotes, and manages the employee. The organization’s leadership communicates the company’s values and upholds them through their daily actions and decisions. The organization’s leadership is responsible for painting a compelling vision for the future, aligning purpose to the work being done, and fostering hope. Hope is not just for a better future for those the company serves, but also for those who serve the company.

When we as leaders are faced with the personnel issues, as many are today, the tendency is to blame. We blame society’s inability to develop the current generation’s sense of responsibility. We blame work ethic and a lack of motivation. We blame the political right or the political left for the policies that have led to the current situation. We blame but rarely do we reflect. Before we look outside, we must first look inside to determine if we are doing all we can to deliver on the promise made to our people when we chose them, and they chose us.

• Are we properly placing our people from the start? Proper placement ensures success and lowers job related anxiety.

• Are we helping them develop their skills and grow? Everyone wants to do their best. No one wants to do a bad job. We all want to feel good about the job we do. However, we do not know what we do not know. Not knowing creates frustration. We owe it to our people to continually develop their skills and abilities.

• Are we creating a compelling vision for the future?

• Are we helping our people see a better future for self and others?

• Are we showing our people how valuable their work is to the world around them?

• Are we outwardly modeling and upholding the company’s core values?

• Do our decisions reflect the values of the company?

• Are we expressing appreciation and gratitude to those who chose us?

• Do our people know we appreciate and value them?

Simple questions like these should be asked of the entire leadership team from time-to-time. It is easy to lose sight of the importance of people development. It is easy to take our people for granted. We all get caught up in the day-to-day grind. The world turns fast. However, it is our job to slow it down and stay focused on those things that matter most. In the case of business, the most important thing is our people.

If we as leaders do not slow things down and focus on our people, the revolving hiring door will spin even faster. Let that happen long enough and we may find ourselves being flung through that door one day and, rightfully so, it may not be by our choice.

Randy Stepp is a Principal with Renaissance Leadership Group. RLG is a full-service business and franchise development company whose purpose is to help business owners realize their dreams of independence and freedom.

Visit Renaissance Leadership Group at www.renaissanceleadershipgroup.com to learn more about business development