Yesterday I met with a client who owns a tax preparation, bookkeeping & accounting firm.  As you might expect it is the time of year when she adds staff to handle the tax season.  Susan is very intuitive and business savvy.   She knows when something is not right and takes action to protect her business.  Susan added several staff recently, some temporary and some permanent.  She called because two of those hired do not feel right.  Her intuition told her to let them go and find new staff.  Her logic told her that she cannot make those changes during tax season.  Susan was torn between her intuition and her logic.

It did not take her long to decide once she described her situation.  As she listened to herself talk about the two staff she found her answer.  One of them was a returning contractor who does high-end corporate work for her each year.  This year something was different.  Carol seems to have an attitude, complains a lot and puts everyone on edge when she comes into the office.  Susan knew she could not have one person change the energy of her office in this way as it was affecting everyone and ultimately her business.  She was afraid of  letting Carol go because she felt she needed her unique skills.  In the end Susan decided to interview other CPAs to find someone who would fit both in terms of skills and the energy of her company.

The second person is a part-time employee.   We discussed her  during the hiring process a month ago.  I saw, at that time, that Tina was not a good fit for Susan’s company.  Her energy was rough and Susan had not verified her skill set.  This is always a red flag.  I saw Susan go into sympathy with Tina and her situation. In doing this Susan had lost her perspective. In the end Susan hired Tina and I knew it was only a matter of time before Susan would see this was not a good hire.  When Tina started her job everyone in the office resisted her.  Susan found she did not have the skills or focus to do the work required.  Susan will be letting Tina go.

I am not sure who coined the phrase “hire slow and fire fast” but I like it.  Maintaining our perspective and being aware of how we react to someone we interview or hire is critical to our success.  In additional to the usual skill assessment, how does this person feel to me?  What does my intuition tell me? How am I reacting to them and why? How does your staff and your office change when this person comes to work?  These and other questions help you to be self-aware and make good hiring and firing decisions.

As a business owner it is important to keep your office and business grounded and energy moving at a high (creative) vibration.  If someone changes that then it is time to re-evaluate.  If the energy has shifted such that it is not comfortable then the agreement with them is not working.  It is time to work it through with them or let them go.  This is good for them and it is good for your company.  Trust you intuition on this!

   Your goal is to have staff that have the exact skill set that you need, match the energy and values of your company, and have a high energy level that inspires.

Likewise, if you are a professional and where you work does not feel right to you then it is not the right fit.  Trust your intuition and begin to look for a position that feels right, raises your enthusiasm and inspires you.

Best wishes on your success, Kay