Everyone wants to hire the best people to add to their team and organization. This is why it’s vitally important to have a well-thought-out hiring process so that only the best people fill your staffing needs. Too many churches and ministries have a loose hiring process. As a result, the wrong people are hired, and things get complicated and messy for everyone. It’s better to wait until the best person comes along to fill the position than to make a bad hire. A good rule to follow is the 90% rule. If the person is not a 90% yes, then it should be a no. That means 90% of a good fit, competent, experienced, personality, biblical worldview, and overall fit. The cost of hiring the wrong person is too high for your church and organization to get wrong. With this in mind, here is the answer to the question, “What’s the Cost of a Bad Hire?”
1. Time
One of the most costly factors of a bad hire is the waste of time. People’s time is incredibly valuable in any organization, whether that’s a paid or volunteer position. Whenever you have a bad hire who isn’t a good fit for a specific role, the amount of time spent to try and help the hire reach their full potential is high. Usually, several people are trying to train the employees and get them up to speed. Certain team members may need to adjust to the new employee’s leadership style or any new processes they are trying to implement. Whatever the situation, a lot of time is spent trying to accommodate this new hire, and all of that time is wasted once they are no longer in that role or with that organization.
Not only is time wasted on the front end trying to make things work, but there will also be a lot of time spent clearing things up once that employee is gone. Many one-on-one conversations, meetings, and announcements will need to be made to keep everyone in the loop on the transition. This can be especially taxing in any public ministry role at a church because so many people are involved. The cost of losing time for everyone is high when you hire the wrong person.
2. Finances
Making a bad hire can be costly financially as well. The amount of employee time that’s used in the hiring process and to get the employee onboarded are dollars spent. This does not include any outside parties or resources that are used to help with the hiring process or any additional staff members used to get the employee up-to-speed on the church’s policies and culture. The time that the bad hire is on staff is salary dollars being used. Of course, you don’t always know that someone will be a bad hire, but this is why it’s incredibly important to have a comprehensive hiring process in place.
Church hires can impact finances significantly. The recruitment, onboarding, and salary of a new employee represent substantial investments. In addition, if a bad hire offends church members and prompts them to leave, the church loses their tithing contributions. This affects the overall operational budget, which primarily relies on tithes and offerings. Although people are far more valuable than their financial contributions, church leaders should be aware of this potential financial loss.
3. Impact on People and Relationships
Church hires directly interact with a lot of people due to the public nature of many positions, making their impact on relationships significant. A poor hire can create friction, foster drama, and inflict pain on the congregation. They might take advantage of people, ignore needs, respond slowly, or even say insensitive things to assert their power. Furthermore, they often disappoint volunteers and churchgoers by overpromising and underdelivering. This behavior can hurt people and potentially drive them away from the congregation and community.
Church members expect care, respect, and value. Unfortunately, bad hires often fail to deliver on these expectations. Prioritizing hires who truly care about people, understand their needs, and are willing to work hard for them is crucial. The potential negative impact of a bad hire on the church community is too significant to ignore.
4. Loss of Confidence in Church Leadership
While hiring the wrong person can happen occasionally, a pattern of poor hiring decisions can erode confidence in church leadership. If several new hires don’t work out in quick succession, people may start questioning the judgment of the lead pastors, elders, and staff. This becomes especially problematic if a poor hire lacks follow-through or inflicts harm while on staff.
Even though the leader isn’t directly responsible for a bad hire’s actions, the congregation will hold them accountable for any resulting damage. Every staff member represents the leader, and church attendees often interpret the actions of individual staff members as reflections of the lead pastor’s approval. Hiring the right people is crucial for maintaining the congregation’s trust in your leadership and judgment.
5. Stress and Morale among Staff and Volunteers
A poor hire can significantly strain staff, leaders, and volunteers. If they fail to do their job or pull their weight, others may need to compensate for their lack of performance. This can lead to increased stress and negatively impact team morale. If a poor hire displays a bad attitude, speaks ill of others, or demonstrates poor character, it can lower the team’s overall morale. It can even cause division among the team members if they start taking sides. These situations can distract leaders from their primary responsibilities and introduce unnecessary stress.
Investing time and effort into vetting potential hires upfront is crucial. While this may seem stressful and time-consuming initially, hiring the right person can alleviate stress in the long term and free up time for more important tasks. Good hires can boost team morale, help the church thrive, and move the organization forward. In contrast, a bad hire can bring everyone and everything down. Using ChurchStaffing, you can easily find the right candidate for the position you’re trying to fill, and then implement a thorough hiring process and adhere to a 90% rule to foster growth and vitality in your church and team.
