Have You Been Kicked By The Cold Foot?

Have You Been Kicked By The Cold Foot?

By

Eric M. Twiggs

"A leader has the right to be beaten, but never the right to be surprised". – Napoleon 

The year was 2007 and my shop was like a sinking ship!   Customer complaints were increasing while gross profit was decreasing.  This location had been without a service manager for eight weeks and morale was at an all-time low.   But everything was about to change because I had just interviewed “Greg“for the position.   

Greg was so good that if you were to “Google” the term “A player”, his picture would come up!  He was referred to me by several people in my organization because of his track record of success in the market.

He accepted my offer and turned in his two week notice to his employer.  I had completed the hiring process and could now cross “find a service manager” off of my to-do list, right?    

Well, let’s fast forward two weeks.  It’s Monday morning and I get a call from my assistant asking if I had heard from Greg yet.  Uh-oh!   He was a no-show, and wouldn’t return our phone calls.

Since I only recruited when I had an opening, I didn’t have a “plan B” and had to start the hiring process all over again.  It wasn’t until six weeks later that I had a new manager in place.  It took four weeks to find him, and two weeks for him to finish with his current employer.   I had been kicked by Greg’s cold foot! 

The term cold feet is used to describe someone who makes a commitment,  then gets nervous and changes their mind before following through.   Have you ever been kicked by the cold foot of an “A” player?  Keep reading and you will learn two strategies to avoid those cold feet. 

Stay Connected

How would you react if you’re most productive employee told you she was leaving?  I bet you wouldn’t just shake her hand and say “Ok, nice knowing you!”  You would make an honest effort to convince her to stay, wouldn’t you?

The key to staying connected, is anticipating the fact that your competition will also do their best to keep a great person from leaving to go work for you.    

Two weeks is a long time for a top performer who is about to make a life changing decision.   I recommend checking in with the person a minimum of twice a week until they show up for their first day.

Helping them move their tool boxes, and having them stop by to complete paperwork, are basic steps that can increase their level of commitment. 

 Many of my clients, along with their spouse will meet with the potential hire and their significant other for a “welcome dinner.”  This gives your candidate the chance to connect with you on an interpersonal level in a different setting.    If they feel a connection with you, they will be less likely to get cold feet. 

Stay Consistent

Most shop owners end their search once they believe they have found the right person.  Keep in mind that’s it’s possible for YOU to get cold feet after they show up for work!  What if they aren’t as good as advertised? 

The best way to stay consistent, is to continue collecting resumes while you wait on your new hire. This will give you a backup plan in case they don’t pan out. 

Based on my experience, the average time period from the start of the search process to the employees first day on the job, is six weeks.  You will feel like kicking yourself, if you have to endure six more weeks of unhappy customers.

Summary

Do you currently have a new hire your waiting on that's working out their two week notice?  If you stay connected and consistent, you can avoid being kicked by their cold foot. 

Sincerely,

Eric M. Twiggs

The Accountability Coach

www.autotraining.net

PS. Are you tired of being kicked by the cold foot of “A” players?   Email etwiggs@autotraining.net  and I will send you my "Cold Foot Prevention Plan."