EVIL HR LADY
DILEMMA OF THE MONTH
Be Fair When Considering Outside Candidates
BY Suzanne Lucas
ILLUSTRATION : JOHN CHASE
I had a midlevel manager recently leave for another position , and I ’ m about to post the job . I know that several of the people who worked for her want that position , but I think the company might be better served by going for an outside hire . How should I proceed so I don ’ t anger my current employees and risk losing them too ?
It ’ s OK to want to hire from the outside . Hiring new people with new ideas and varied experience is always a good idea . It ’ s also good to think about what the current staff thinks and make sure they are happy . But since several current employees want the position , you will have unhappy employees , even if you give the job to one of them . And it ’ s possible that they will be even more disappointed with a coworker elevated to the boss than an outside boss .
There are lots of things to think about when handling a manager leaving . Here ’ s how to get your ducks in a row .
Write a new job description
You may have an old one , but I guarantee the job changed since you wrote it . When you ’ re writing , don ’ t think about the tasks the old manager did but rather what tasks you want the new person to do . Now is the time to make changes . Have you been frustrated because no one in the department could do a statistical analysis ? Add it in . Does invoicing really belong in this department , or is now the time to put that in another group ? Make the job look like you want it to look , not as the prior person did it .
This serves two purposes : First , it gives the recruiter good material to work with . ( They should work with you to write a job posting that highlights the essential skills .) And , second , it helps you realize you are filling a position and not replacing a person .
20 comstocksmag . com | January 2021