You Hired The Right People, But Are They In The Right Seat?

Let’s consider this situation. There is someone on your staff who is, hands down, a great hire. They’re a perfect culture-fit, a hard worker, and match your organization’s vision, but something feels off. You don’t want to lose this person altogether, but it’s becoming clear that they are not excelling in their current role. What do you do now? 

This happens all the time. Someone applies for a role because they love an organization’s vision, but their entry role simply isn’t the right fit for them. Don’t lose hope. Here’s a few simple steps for how you can get them in a place that motivates their unique skills and benefits your organization.

Have a 1:1 with them.

Ask them how they feel about how things are going. They may be in complete alignment, have an idea of where they think they’d fit better in the organizational chart, and make this extremely easy. If that’s not the case, and they seem happy with their current position, now is the time to be transparent about how much you value them, but don’t think their skills are best suited here. Tell them where you think they’d be better matched.

Utilize the power of a personality assessment.

Sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint our own skills or drivers. Personality assessments give you the language to identify with traits that you may not recognize on your own. Personality assessments also help you to know what your strengths are and what values you tend to align with. Someone may be a great culture fit, but their current position is stifling the strengths of their personality. An assessment will further help you and them determine where they can thrive and best help your organization.

Have examples ready.

Use recent examples of where they exhibited skills that could benefit a different part of the organization. Explain to them why these skills aren’t suited for their current role, and assure them that their skills would be highly valued in another position. This will be helpful if they’re reluctant about a move, but it will also be encouraging even if they’re on board.

Reorganize the Organizational Chart.

It may seem like organizational charts and chains of command are permanent, but they can be flexible if you want them to be. Sometimes, shaking up the organizational chart can reinvigorate your staff and get people excited about the work they’re doing. Don’t be afraid to move people around until you have a chart that works best for both your staff and your organization.

Set new goals.

Set goals for their new role and follow up on them frequently to ensure the new placement is truly a better fit. Clearly define the role and responsibilities, and make the goals measurable so they will know when they are successful. Be open to their ideas about how they can be successful in this new position.

Be transparent.

Let the organization know about the switch with transparency. This shows you are dedicated to developing your team members at any cost. There may be other team members who you thought were underperforming, but might just be in the wrong roles. This will give everyone permission to self-evaluate and see if they're in a position that’s best suited for them. It will also make them feel safe to come and speak to you if they believe they’re in need of a positional change.

These types of conversations can be uncomfortable, especially if you’ve never had one before, but it will benefit your organization in the long run if everyone is in a position to thrive. Is there anyone in your organization who is a great culture fit but may be in the wrong position? If so, what steps will you take this week to handle it? Let us know in the comments below!