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4 Reasons to Retrain an Employee Rather than Firing Them

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If you have an employee who’s underperforming, it’s a tricky situation. They’re not working out in their role, yet the thought of trying to find a new employee amidst a post-pandemic worker shortage is daunting. What can you do?

One way to resolve the situation without having to resort to recruiting is to train employees and re-assign them. If an employee has a good attitude and is a hard worker, they might simply need a shift in their tasks in order to reach their full potential.

Some other advantages of training and re-deploying workers include:

You know their skills and abilities.

Just because an employee isn’t a fit for one assignment doesn’t mean they won’t thrive in another. When you find the right role for them, you won’t have to worry about their attitude, work ethic, and whether they mesh with the team. You already know them and have an understanding of their personality, so you don’t have to worry about a potential cultural mismatch like with a new hire.

You’ll save on hiring costs.

In today’s candidate market, between the worker shortage, skill gaps, and inflation, hiring is expensive. Re-training an employee for a different role, on the other hand, can be far more cost-efficient. Plus, there’s no guarantee you’ll get the right person. However, by training employees and re-assigning them, you can actually strengthen your team without a huge expense.

You’ll enhance your employer brand.

When you invest in your people by training and developing them and taking the time to re-assign them to different roles, you’re sending the message to your team that they matter. This builds loyalty and longevity with your staff and also helps you to develop a more appealing employer brand.

You’ll maintain good working relationships.

When your team gets along and has strong ties, it’s a boon to your company. Removing someone from this dynamic can therefore impact morale and even productivity. When you re-train and re-assign employees instead, you can retain this social capital that is intangible yet so valuable to your company. Fewer disruptions mean a staff that can stay on track and deliver the results you need.

Of course, there are certain situations when letting an employee go makes sense. For instance, if they’re contributing to a toxic or negative culture, it’s not worth re-training them when you can’t change their attitude. Likewise, if it’s clear an employee’s work ethic is lacking, they won’t suddenly gain more motivation simply by switching positions. In these cases, it’s best to cut ties and move on.

Do you need help hiring?

When that happens, PrideStaff can fill the gap. As one of Phoenix’s top recruitment teams, we know where to look to find skilled and talented individuals for a wide range of roles in many industries. To learn more about how we can help you, simply contact us today.

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