Dear Landa
Another installment of advice to the joblorn, where questions are sometimes real, sometimes not – but try to imagine the ones we can’t print.
Dear Landa,
We recently hired a new graduate for an entry-level job, and now we think that might have been a mistake. The work is getting done, but we’re not sure about this person’s behavior in the office. They sit at their desk during lunch scrolling through Facebook, on their phone, generally look bored and lack incentive to start projects on their own. Think we should cut our losses and let them go?
Signed,
Frustrated
Dear Frustrated,
Unlike the old adage, “You can pay me now or pay me later,” the truth is: “You can be frustrated now AND be frustrated later, too.” Look, if you feel like you should cut this person loose, then I can’t stop you. But, unless you take a closer look at the process, I can assure you that you’ll find the same to be true with most any other entry-level hire.
Unfortunately, workers don’t come out of college fully formed; you have to do a bit of work in order to help them be successful, for you and for their future. When hiring someone for their first professional job, you have to be their coach, as well as their employer. Be prepared to do a fair amount of soft-skills training in the beginning. If you’ve hired the right talent match, this small investment of time, up front, will pay huge dividends in the end and save you numerous trips to the medicine cabinet for headache relief.
Signed,
Landa
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