Hiring and Firing Employees

Dr. Bernie Erven

Professor Emeritus

Ohio State University

& Erven HR Services

A new setting for hiring and firing

High unemployment by recent standards

Employees willing to sacrifice to keep their jobs

Good people looking for jobs

Less attention to labor because of bigger problems

Emphasis on today rather than today ANDthe future

Facing labor challenges not known in recent years

Increased importance of keeping employees informed

Taking care of employees in bad times to increase chances of keeping them in the good times

Opportunity to hire higher quality employees

Dealing forcefully (and fairly) with problem employees to make room for better people

But the importance of the basics has not changed

Reputation as a place to work

Hiring

Training

Motivation as an employer/employee partnership

Communication

Fairness in compensation

Reputation as a place to work

The good news Employers own their

reputation as a place to work

Good reputation in the community is most powerful hiring tool

Following 14 guidelines can provide a checklist for gauging one’s reputation

Guidelines

1. Like, enjoy and appreciate employees

2. Use written job descriptions

3. Provide more orientation and training than is expected

4. Show trust

5. Catch people doing things right

More guidelines

6. Celebrate successes

7. Communicate clearly and often

8. Compensate fairly

9. Provide exceptional non-monetary benefits

10. Provide extraordinary informal benefits

More guidelines

11. Promote from within

12. Build pride in your business

13. Make the business family-friendly

14. Be proud of advancing employees

Hiring starts with building a pool of applicants

Take advantage of your good reputation

Walk-ins

Internet

Referrals

Creative help wanted ads in right places

Another method -- Offer incentives to current employees

For example:

$200 for being first to recommend a person who is hired

$200 more if the person stays at least six months

$100 more if the person stays a full year

Interviewing

By far most common selection method

Other selection tools and tests can be used to complement interviews

Applicants may have much more experience than interviewer – “I will say and be whatever it takes to get the job.”

Three steps for interviewing success

1. Preparation

2. Conducting the interview

3. Follow up after the interview

Preparation requires answers to these questions:

1. Who will be on the interview team?

2. Where to conduct the interviews?

3. Questions to ask?

4. How to use the interview time?

5. How to summarize & report evaluations?

But just one minute please!

What is legal?

Questions directly related to the job and the ability of any person to do the job

Questions to ask

Have more questions ready that you will use

Avoid yes/no questions

Ask questions that encourage applicants to use their own words

Cover a variety of topics

Focus on what an applicant has done in previous jobs (behavioral interviewing) not what he/she promises

Use three types of questions

Past behavior ”How did you resolve conflicts between co-workers when you were a barn manager?”

Job knowledge “How do you know when hot weather is affecting production?”

What if “What would you do if we asked you to do something you don’t know how to do?”

Questions that waste interview time

“What are your goals and aspirations?”

“What do you think about . . . ?”

“How would you describe yourself?”

“Is a family-like workplace important to you?”

“Are you a hard worker?”

“Do you come to work on time?”

Sample questions

1. Describe a sow-related problem you have solved in the last year. How did you go about solving it?

2. What has been your most important accomplishment in your current job?

3. Describe your favorite co-worker.

4. What has been your most important accomplishment outside of work?

Some unusual questions

1. What is the most difficult challenge you have ever faced? How did you handle it?

2. Describe the person you would most like to have as your supervisor.

3. What is your best friend from high school doing now?

4. What is the one question you are most afraid I will ask you?

5. Why should I hire you?

How to use the interview time?

Have a plan

Go into the interview feeling organized and confident

Give applicants all the time promised them – Don’t cut interviews short!

Sample schedule for 30 minute interview

1. Relax applicant (2-3 minutes)

2. Accurately explain the job (3-5)

3. Check any problems in the application form (4-7)

4. Ask set of structured questions

(10-15)

5. Encourage questions from applicant (2-5)

Sample schedule for 30 minute interview (Continued)

6. Summarize business’ mission, goals and values (2-4)

7. Summarize opportunity of the position (2-4)

8. Encourage more questions from applicant (2-10)

9. Close (2-4)

Most important interviewing guidelines

1. Maintain control of the interview

2. Listen intently and observe carefully

3. Be mindful of your own personal biases

4. Be patient, encouraging and interested

5. Avoid quick judgments

6. Allow interruptions only for emergencies

Checking references

Be aware of legal advice not to respond

Telephone works better than mailing a form

Ask same questions of all references

Pay attention to tone of responses

Pay attention to what is not said

Use a form to record responses

Written offer

Put job offer and employment in writing with simple, clear language

Include at least:

Name and address of employee

Job title and summary of duties

Starting date, times and other employment terms

Compensation and benefits

Work schedule

Supervisor

Firing

There are no winners in a firing!!

When a firing is best, attention turns to:

How do to do it fairly

How to minimize negative impacts on other employees’ morale

Minimizing chances of a wrongful discharge

Critical legal questions in a discharge?

1. Was the employment at-will?

2. Was it a wrongful discharge?

3. Was there just cause?

4. Was there due process?

5. Was there constructive discharge even though the employee resigned?

Legal and defensible firing

Builds on preventive actions taken before the firing:

Orientation and training

Clear expectations, job descriptions and work rules

Progressive discipline

Paper trail is clearly established

Incorporates careful answers to following seven key questions

Seven key questions

1. Solid case?

2. Who will fire?

3. Where?

4. When?

5. Participants in termination meeting?

6. Content of termination meeting?

7. Immediately afterwards?

Take home message

Much different labor situation from two years ago -> Need to make some adjustments

Success in hiring and firing requires planning and disciplined follow through

The alternative is lost opportunities, lost applicants, costly turnover and preventable litigation

Contact information

Dr. Bernie Erven

erven.1@osu.edu

614-888-9953