Extraordinary Amounts of Resources Are Wasted During the Hiring Process

It is astonishing to me how extraordinary amounts ofthe job in the regional office! If it's not necessary to
resources are being wasted during the hiring processfulfill all the obligations of the job, then the job is not
especially by medium to large-sized companies andnecessary.
organizations who have national or international- the person from head office was also going to come
presence.back to train the successful candidate. What? So
This waste tells me that, despite advanced universityagain, another flight, more hotel and meal costs and
degrees required to secure their management ormore costs for all the work being neglected! Or, as I
executive positions, people have no idea what itsaid before, the head office job was redundant. Surely,
means not to waste money, not to waste time andthe executive director in this locale had been hired for
not to waste resources, in other words, managemanagement expertise and surely the ed could train
properly.the new person since the ed should know and
They talk about "strategic plans", "analysis", "budgets",understand every job under his/her supervision
and other such "buzz" words but their actions speak- and that wasn't all - more money, time and resource
louder than words - they haven't a clue what thesewasted - the candidates would be asked to come ack
things mean or how to use them.for a second interview and, this time, the executive
Having a budget means dedicating the majority of thedirector would be included! Talk about waste! The cost
money to the purpose at hand: either making profit inof the time for all these highly paid people to be
the case of business or helping clients in the case of ainvolved in dual interviews for a one-year contract
non-profit. And, like your household budget, it meanswhich would be ending in 11 months is incredible!
THINKING about every expense - is the expenseThe inefficiencies of this operation are clear. And the
necessary? If so, what is the least expensive but mostwaste of money is clear. And wasting time is the
effective way of getting the job done?norm! Obviously, this organization has money to burn!
Yesterday, I was made aware of a situation. ACan you imagine the thousands of dollars going
national non-profit wanted to hire an individual for atowards such frivolous practices when research and
one-year contract position to replace someone goinghelping clients are supposed to be the most important
on maternity leave. You'll be astonished by thisfocus! How many times a year do they do this? What
scenario if you know anything about goodother inefficiencies are rampant in this organization?
management and good hiring practices:Likely a lot - and that's what happens to organizations
- the person going on maternity had already left. Asand businesses when they go national or international
far as I know, it still takes nine months for a full-termor become very large - a sense of entitlement that
pregnancy. Why hadn't the search for the replacementwastes all form of resources!
taken place months prior to her departure? (no theWhile some small organizations are struggling to make
baby had not arrived early) When the pregnancy wasends meet, these large organizations are squandering
announced, preparation should have taken place totime, money and resources. Why are they being paid
assure proper coverage during the leave includingthe "big bucks" if they have no idea how to manage
written instructions for every part of the job, hiring inefficiently and effectively? It's not exclusive to
plenty of time before the start of the leave to allownon-profits - it happens in business too and certainly,
for training and assuring that the executive directorgovernment is over-run by such inefficiencies. Why?
was fully engaged with this. Logical, right? ApparentlyBecause managers and executives haven't got a clue
not in this organization.what it means to properly manage a budget, manage
- the interview process included someone flown inpeople, manage time, manage resources - everyone
from head office hundreds of miles away yet thewants a pay cheque and benefits - I ask - at what
organization had an executive director running theexpense?
regional office. Imagine the cost of this travel in this dayYes, people should be well compensated for a job well
and age - flights, meals, hotels, cabs plus the time thisdone but, in cases like these, everyone in the upper
person was away from head office - not just a dayechelons of this organization should be fired because
or two - an entire week! The executive director couldthey are clearly not managing and clearly inept. The
have easily handled the interview, hired someone andBoard members at all levels should also be dismissed
reported back (as he/she should have). What was theas the fiscal responsibility which they are charged with
point of having an executive director on site if itis being neglected.
required head office personnel to do the hiring? ItI, for one, will not be donating to this cause nor will I
simply didn't make sense! Okay, let's say it wasvolunteer. I feel sorry for the clients who are not being
important to have this head office person involved forwell served by the dollars raised - thousands and
whatever reason - what's wrong with onlinethousands of dollars annually being spent in this kind of
conferencing? A lot less expensive than a trip!nonsense is beyond my comprehension. These
Remember, this was a temporary job they were hiringthousands of dollars should be going to equipment, to
for.services, to research, to support groups and to serving
- the scope of the job for the temporary replacementthe clients they claim to serve.
was undefined - undefined - it would depend on theI feel sorry too for all the volunteers who give their
skill set of the individual being hired. HUH? Shouldn't thetime, energy and expertise to help an organization who
person hired have the skill set to fulfill the obligations ofso deeply disrespects their contributions.
that job? Tailor the job to the candidates? I cannot tellAnd so it goes with hiring ... thinking is non-existent... no
you how absurd that statement was, well, to me, atone is thinking about the bottom line and how much it
least. As a senior manager, I knew what people did incosts to hire... it's simply accepted that one process fits
their jobs and I hired temporary replacements basedall, at all cost!. May as well let the computers do the
the fact that the individual hired could and would fulfillhiring... one thing for sure with computers - it would be
every aspect of that job! This statement tells me thata lot less expensive and less wasteful!
not only is the head office position redundant but also