Hiring new Staff: To clone or not to clone

To clone or not to clone

In theory, replacing an outgoing staff member is a fairly easy task.

Look at what their role contains, analyse what they do and employ the person whose skills are the closest match to the outgoing candidate.

Simple.

But while trying to clone a departing member of staff may seem like the right thing to do – particularly if you are losing a valued member of your team – it is can end up proving to be a very costly move for your business.

While the new recruit’s skills and experience may meet your desired requirements, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their attitude or motivation is the same as that of their predecessor.

As we've previously discussed, an individual’s motivation and attitude account for at least 40% of their overall working performance. So to simply hire an individual because they have a similar skill-set to the staff member they are replacing is a dangerous, and potentially costly, move.

Instead, consider the kind of motivations they are likely to need to succeed in the position.  Do they need to follow a set process or think outside the box? Do they need to work on their own or be part of a team? How much change do they need to be able to deal with?

Also, think about the role itself. Has it changed since your previous employee joined your organisation? Is it likely to change again? Are the qualities you hired the previous incumbent for the same ones you’d be looking for in their replacement?

When you start to consider the endless list of questions that need answering and realise that hiring an employee isn’t simply about cloning the person they’re replacing, things suddenly aren't so easy.

Our free Talent Management Report will help you to navigate around someone of these tricky issues, save you time and expense and ensure that you hire the right person for your organisation.

Sound interesting? Katherine Wiid is an experienced specialist in talent management and motivation pattern recognition. Call her on +44 (0)1780 484910 or email Katherine@recrion.co.uk to see what she can do for your business.