It’s no secret that the cornerstone of any business is its’ employees. Whether you are a small start-up, with only a few staff – or a huge international organization with departments and offices across the globe, the functionality and success of your business hang upon the people who work for and with you. An effective recruitment process goes a long way to filter through a pool of potential candidates and secure the right people for the skills required to make your business tick – however, something that is more difficult to screen and select for is the personal character and cultural fit. It is estimated that we will spend up to 90,000 hours of our lifetime at work suffice to say – being in an environment that is conducive to productivity, and harmony – is vital for the employer and employee. Alongside recruiting well, continuous investment in your people, through organizational development programs, including team building activities where staff are encouraged to work together to problem-solve and connect in a stress-free and relaxed environment has been shown to have positive outcomes on your office environment.
But what if you have hired someone who just isn’t right? Sometimes the recruitment process nails a candidate’s skills assessment – and you could hire someone who has the potential to be your top performer, they’re on set to meet and exceed sales targets; however they make everyone else miserable, or even worse – they create conflict. Well, renowned entrepreneur, Gary Vaynerchuck has said: “If you don’t fire employees who are toxic, they will slow your company down.” (2) While this may seem like an extreme measure, sometimes there is no amount of mentoring or corporate team building activities that will outdo a bad attitude and an unwillingness to change and adapt.
The total cost of a ‘bad hire’ is estimated to be worth up to 33% of an employees’ first year’s salary (3), so if and when there is room to grow, and capacity for change – the combined cost of the recruitment process, and the price of training staff means it is always worth taking the time to mentor and guide a staff member through what could be simply a difficult patch in either their personal and/or professional life. On a personal level, taking the time to get to the bottom of what is going on for a staff member will require some regular one on one time with management, but smoothing out the issues they may have created in the team will need ongoing, structured activities like team building activities. In this type of scenario – our Silent Team Building programs are extremely effective in resolving simmering issues. Our method of creating a comfortable space, with a fun and relaxed vibe, allows your staff to let go of their existing bias and engage in a new way. Your team will be led by our experienced, professional group facilitator through a series of games and team building activities specially designed to encourage a positive culture and organizational development. We can also include Silent Disco for a chance to let off some steam, to great music and Silent Yoga or Meditation, to leave everyone a little more mindful about their place in your team, and their value to your organization.
References
- https://www.gettysburg.edu/news/stories?id=79db7b34-630c-4f49-ad32-4ab9ea48e72b&pageTitle=1%2F3+of+your+life+is+spent+at+work
- https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/firing-employees-who-are-talented-but-toxic/
- US Department of Labour: https://breezy.hr/blog/cost-of-bad-hire
