Employers have no choice but to protect themselves. It’s imperative that they do all within their power to gather information they need to make sound hiring decisions. The risks associated with hiring from least-desirable applicant pools are much greater. The consequences are more severe. Using a hiring process that fails to incorporate background checks, interviews, skill assessments, personality assessments, attitude assessments, educational verifications, trial periods, and reference checks is like agreeing to play Russian roulette without observing all chambers of weapon first.

Copyright 2001, Mason Duchatschek

4.They think they have to hire anyone who walks in door. Unemployment is low and it becomes an excuse for bad hiring since there are open positions and only a few candidates to fill them. (Just because someone is looking for a job, it doesn’t mean they are looking for work. High-risk candidates steal, fake injuries, show up late, or don’t show up for work at all.)

5.They think they should send a sales rep into field without any training so that they can evaluate if new guy can take rejection and is tough enough to stick it out. (The average cost per sales call is approximately $200-$350 per call. I don’t think there is a more expensive way to teach salespeople how to sell than to have them practice in front of current or potential clients.)

I’m convinced that it takes hard work to master art of profit prevention. Someone must be willing to ignore all books, audiocassettes, videos, consultants, and educators who make strategies for success accessible. They must be willing to sacrifice their ego and fend off common sense. Their reputation for profit prevention hinges on their ability to eliminate distractions associated with total quality or process improvement initiatives. And, if you can believe it . . . they always get blame when things don’t go well.

Copyright 2001, Mason Duchatschek