Finding a Replacement for a Placement

Written By: Sydney Grierson

While rare, there are instances where the candidate selected for a position ends up not being the best fit. This is typically a result of either the professional not being a good cultural fit, or his or her technical skills do not fully meet the expectations of the hiring organization. These types of situations can be a little awkward to navigate. However, here at Germer we understand that having the right talent is vital to the execution production, and, ultimately, an organization’s ability to get necessary pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and medical device products out to patients. We do not take this lightly and work to ensure that we are supporting the development and stability of teams.

We had to deal with a situation like this in 2021 when working with a life sciences organization on the East coast. The business professional whom we placed with the company began slacking in their work, showing up late, and not wanting to participate in team building events. This was not the type of work ethic and attitude that our team and the hiring company initially saw within this individual. Nor was it presented by others during the background check process. Nonetheless, as soon as we heard that things were not working out, we took a few different steps to try and help the issue. First, we gave the professional a call to understand how they were feeling about the company and whether there was anything that they needed help with. These types of conversations provide the professional with an opportunity to voice any concerns or issues on their end. Next, we would speak with the team in which this individual is on to understand their side of the situation and what they would like to see this person improve on or whether they would like us to start up a confidential search to find a replacement for the role. If needed, at this time, we would start working on the position again, paying special attention to the concerns that the team noticed in the initial placement. For example, if attitude and energy were a concern, we might ask future candidates more direct or situational questions to feel out and get an in-depth look as to what those areas look like for them. And if the issue was more on a technical skill or trait, we would do our research to understand the importance of it to the role and other tasks that might coincide or build on that other skill or trait. We like to make the replacement process as smooth and efficient as possible – present qualified candidates that will help get the organization back on track.

In the business professional example discussed above, our team was able to identify a candidate that was a better cultural fit for the organization. This individual brings a collaborative, positive attitude to the table. Because the company is on the smaller side, these types of traits are highly contagious to the rest of the group and help support an environment where people enjoy working with one another. We regularly check in with the professional and organization to make sure that things are going well on both of their ends.