Hire Slow, Fire Fast

Over the last nine years of building my brand I have definitely made some hiring mistakes. I often gave people jobs because I felt sorry for them, they needed money, or they were a friend. I also overlooked things because I’m quite busy.

As Marianna Naturals gears up to get our stock ticker in a few short weeks, I’ve realized that there is no room for error. I need the best people who always show up and are ready to complete their tasks at 110%. I have a growing beauty brand, and although we’re a fun place to work, we are also in the business of being in business.

Recently I sat down with my very dear friend Sandy, the owner of Revenge MD, and she said it straight to me. “Being nice is overrated. It doesn’t get you anywhere any quicker in business.” She’s right! She then said something powerful to me that really stuck, “Hire Slow, Fire Fast.”

To hire slow means to hire with intention, not reaction. I know a lot of you boss bitches reading this understand exactly what this means. We just want to replace someone with someone else so the job keeps getting done. I know you’re just as guilty as I am.

When I have a job to fill, I will no longer be hasty in replacing the last employee who held the position or start texting friends to see if they want a job. Nope! No more. I will be clear on what my needs and expectations are, and you should be as well. Every leader should write a clear job description and define the skills, etc. required for long-term success. Not just the immediate issues at hand. I feel like taking time is something that I didn’t do, and every leader should be doing this.

How many of you boss babes out there have hired fast because you needed the help? I know I have! And where did that get us? Screwed, and not in a good way. I’ve had the worst come out of hires after I HELPED them pay their bills and reluctantly gave them a job. The key is to hire slow. Slow down and don’t worry. Interview everyone and don’t make hasty choices. Remember, you are the boss!

On the flip side, what I have never done quickly is to “fire fast.” And this is exactly what I will be doing from now on. I’ll be implementing a 90-day probation period for all new employees. And I will be firing if the new hire calls in, slacks off, isn’t doing their work, if I have to repeatedly ask them for reports (my PET PEEVE), or if they are a general “no” for the company.

Think about this boss babes. Once you hire a new employee, how do you onboard them? How do you take this time to evaluate whether you’ve made a good decision? On the other hand, if you don’t know for-sure after three months, it’s not a fit. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to hate to go to my office and see a person I pay slacking off because I didn’t instate a 90-day probation period. Do you?

If you give yourself permission to hire slow, you can take the time you need to hire for the right fit, and they will last longer. If you give yourself permission to fire fast, you are also allowing yourself to correct and keep searching for the best people, which both you and your company deserve. This allows you to act quickly to avoid longer-lasting impacts on your business or on your hiring candidate.

So, tell me boss ladies, what’s the worst hiring story you have? Leave it in the comments of our latest post on IG @AskHeatherMariannaBlog!