"It is not the people you fire who will make your life miserable; it is the people you don't fire." Harvey Mackay Years ago, I hired the most glib smooth talking sales guy since the days of Music Man or Elmer Gantry. He could string together a series of “complete” sentences like no other. If he told me the world was flat I would have been inclined to believe him- and could he close a deal-with ease! The problem was his lack of honesty or ethics- and the damage to customer relations. And of course, I had to fire him. Beyond the problems, his exaggerated claims and broken promises, I was disappointed as I looked to him to help bolster my struggling business. In this instance, my anger made dropping the axe easy, but not so a few years earlier when I flew to Chicago one Monday morning to tell a salesperson approaching sixty that he was “not cutting it.” I was tempted to do this unpleasant task by mail or phone- but I didn’t and it was not one of my better days. As you may know, whatever the reason for firing or suggesting an employee look for work elsewhere is not the kind of thing you like to do. There is always the unknown reaction, including the possibility of violence. And the longer you postpone the act- the more difficult and the more unfair to you and your employee. If we must fire a loser- our natural sense is to hope –even believe the person will change. They usually don’t – and if they do- it does not last- leading to more disappointment-and the unpleasant pink slip. So if you dislike the role of company executioner, take your time when you hire. Check the person out! Would you believe the other day I read where a college president was discovered to have faked his degrees. Some role model! If we do our homework, we can avoid the pain of an “exit interview.” We all leave a trail in life that speaks loudly about who and what we are. Some of us are like a movie set, all façade no depth, some of us have the ethics of an Enron executive. Some of us the ambition of the hard-core unemployed. And some of us the reliability of a rusted watch. But what ever we are, blessed or beast, we are like mice, we leave droppings for the world to see. If you have to fire someone because of dishonesty, drugs, or drunkenness- you are at fault. And if you have to fire some one for lack of skill or experience that is also your fault. Your fault because you did not take the time to check the droppings. Or if you did, you quickly jumped to the answer you wanted to hear, forgetting that references and resumes can be faked. As former employers are reluctant to offer anything but a meaningless neutral comment for fear of lawsuits-you must listen closely for hints of less than stellar performance. The applicant is not going to list any references that might have a few not so favorable things to say. So where does that leave you- a credit check! Your applicant can’t fake it. And it can tell you much about stability, acting responsible, even honesty. There are other footprints in the sand. Pay attention to hobbies, interests and volunteer activities. Ask if the person is married, involved in their community, do they own their own home, and how often they move. How someone lives blasts a message of behavior. Pay attention to goals- ask about dreams and aspirations, Ask about accomplishments. Remember you are on an investigative journey- one that may put profit in your pocket and avoid the waste and pain of hiring the wrong person. Why be so picky? As a small business owner, when you hire an employee it is a big deal. Your cash is tight, your resources limited, and getting the wrong gal or guy can be costly. More than one dishonest bookkeeper has caused a small business to fail. Crooked employees will make your life miserable and may cost you your business, Employees with addictions, from booze to gambling is not a problem you want; And, for whatever reason, if you must tell a worker to move on- you will be wise and prudent to cut a check for the two weeks notice and ask your employee to leave your business today! Ease the pain by telling them that they are better off spending the two weeks looking for new job. If you expect your fired employee to be productive during the two weeks notice – good luck, a fired worker will not be an enthusiastic member of your team- the person may sow seeds of discontent, pocket a few profits, and be a disruption- pay the two weeks in advance and out the door- a wise move for all. Copyright 2003 Paul E. Adams Dr Paul E Adams, Professor Emeritus Business, Ramapo College of New Jersey & Retired Entrepreneur, Syndicated Columnist, Host of the access cable TV program "Tri -State Movers and Shakers," and Author of “Fail-Proof Your Business,” Available @ Amazon.com. Comments, questions, or suggestions to: xpaul@pikeonline.net