When it comes to your employees, it is important to hire selectively, but equally important to ensure that each employee is in the right position. Having all of the right people on your bus is not helpful or even workable unless each team member is also in the right seat. So how can you determine if you — and they — are in the right seat?

Know Who You Are and What You Need

Clearly identify your company goals.

Defining your goals allows you to see what you need, but it also gives employees and potential employees a clear vision of where they are going. From there you can determine which employees you need in which seat, and if this will include, hiring, rearranging, or firing.

Choose the Right Employees

Hire the employees who will actually benefit your company.

When you know which seats to fill, and the characteristics that you need to fill them, do not let yourself get distracted. It is easy to think that a certain person will fit well with the group, bring a lot to the table, etc. But do they fill a necessary seat on the bus? This is the most important criteria.

Look for Options

Rework the seating chart when necessary.

Sometimes an under-productive employees is simply in the wrong seat. Whether the employee is out of sync with their team, not using their strongest skills, or just bored, their performance will be less than satisfactory. Before jumping to the conclusion that you should let them go, take some time to consider what other seats might fit their interests and skills better.

Take the Hard Steps

But sometimes, letting go is really the best option for everyone involved.

Even that employee that you have held onto for 30 years. It feels strange and maybe a bit heartless, but the fact is, if they are in the wrong seat, they will be happier in a better seat on a different bus. And your company is free to fill that seat with the right employee.

Conclusion

So are you sitting in the right seat?

Is everyone else on your team sitting in the right seat? If not, these steps help you assess and address the situation in such a way that your company can advance to reach its full potential.


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