Have you ever worked in a company where the boss hired a new employee and gave them such a big build-up it was like hearing your restaurant had hired Emeril, that Lady Gaga was joining your chorus, or that LeBron James was going to be on your basketball team?

What happened next? There’s a good chance that after some time had passed and the results started coming in, the “steak” did not live up to the sizzle. 

 

Why do leaders do this? The build-up may feel good to the boss. After all, it was their great recruitment of talent that brought in this superstar. While it’s usually not intentional, in a way the boss is complimenting themselves. They’re saying, “Look who I attracted!” But what the boss may be missing is the difficult situation they have put themselves and the new person in. Big sizzles often are followed by big fizzles. 

 

To the organization it may seem like this person just got here and you have already named them employee of the year. It’s like they’ve been inducted to the hall of fame without ever having played a game. People may resent this and view it as unfair. It might make other employees feel unappreciated for the hard work they do every day.

 

Here’s how the scenario unfolds: The boss is excited about the new hire because past work experience and references were excellent. (Of course, most candidates include only people who will say great things about them on the reference list.) Also, the person had a superb interview. (Some people are naturally great in interviews.) And so, thinking they are helping themselves and the new person, the boss sends out an announcement or two on how great the new hire is.   

 

Usually the new hire gets off to a good start. But with all these positive announcements, the boss has shined a bright light on both the new person (for being such a superstar) and on themselves (for having the foresight to grab such a superstar). The board of directors is most likely paying attention. But soon, maybe in just a matter of weeks, the infatuation wears off. It turns out the new hire is not as good as the boss had advertised. 

 

Things get worse. Due to the big build-up, co-workers may not be as helpful as they could be. The hire may feel extra pressure, which creates anxiety and does not help their performance. And the boss will let the situation go on longer than it needs to because they have made such a big deal of the person. By admitting this is not working, they worry they will look bad.

 

So instead of the hiring miss being addressed quickly, the boss waits way too long and loses credibility. They begin to micromanage the person in hopes of improving their performance, but results keep getting worse. The organization watches, knowing things aren’t working out, and also confused, because for a while the boss was very open about how great the person was, but now is silent. Ego gets in the way of making the best decision for the organization and the new hire. One of the hardest things for a boss (especially the top boss) to do is admit they erred.

 

All of this is very hard on the new person. They know they are not measuring up. You can tell when someone knows they are not performing well and yet they still have a job. They have a “dead man walking” look.

 

I have seen this painful cycle play out many times in my work with companies and in government bodies throughout the years. And while the new hire may not have worked out in the end anyway, the big build-up did more harm than good. The same dynamics can occur with any build-up, whether it’s around new software, a new performance initiative, or anything else. Too much sizzle followed by too little substance creates a bad situation for all.

 

Here are some suggestions for avoiding this scenario.

 

Do not go overboard in announcing a new hire. Yes, based on the information you have, the person should do well, but keep it low-key and straightforward. Be especially careful with the board. It is great to share that, based on the person’s past performance at other places, it feels like they are a good fit. But caution that time will tell. Board members get it.

 

Be especially careful not to overstate the hire if the announcement includes media. How often does an elected official tout the new hire, then after they don’t last, the official touts the next new hire? Yes, it is good to move quickly if a new hire isn’t working out. However, how many misses does it take for people to think the problem may not be the new hire?

 

Talk and write more about the team they are joining rather than building up the new hire. For example, you might want to include a quote from the new hire about how excited they are to learn from the people they will be working with.

 

Even if the person is in an executive position, make sure to follow the normal hiring protocol. For example, make sure they have a buddy assigned. Also, do not let them skip any part of the orientation. There should be no free passes because someone is an executive. People watch. It is way less what is said and way more what is done. Remember the old saying, “People are judged not on their intentions but on their behavior.”

 

Make sure the person is open to learning. Let them know that a great way to bond in the workplace is to notice what others do well and ask them to explain how they do it. No one offers to help someone who acts like a big shot. 

 

Be judicious and restrained in praising the new person. A compliment such as, “For being here only 90 days, that result is a good one” works well.

 

Even though admitting a mistake is painful, not admitting the mistake is worse. The longer a leader waits to let a person go when it’s obvious it’s not working, the more credibility they lose. Some CEOs wrongly think no one is noticing. They are. It’s best to admit mistakes and hold up the mirror and learn. 

 

Over the years, I have worked with many a CEO who was reluctant to make a needed change because it meant recognizing they made a mistake. That is a bigger mistake. In hiring, as in all decisions, we need to put the company’s needs and the new hire’s needs over the needs of our own ego.