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We Hired Him …Then He Quit
October 6, 2020
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If you’re one of the lucky programmers in 2020 who gets to add to your staff, you’re probably looking for an air personality that is manageable and has talent. Even with all the pre-hire scrutiny, sometimes new hires don’t reveal unforeseen quirks until after the three-month probationary period has passed.
Recently, I communicated with a Program Director who experienced a situation that makes you scratch your head.
OM: Coach, did you ever have an employee quit less than 6 weeks after you hired them?
Coach: Yes, a couple of times with part-times. They left for good reason, both were offered fulltime employment with other stations. So, it was understandable. However, I once hired a PD in between programing jobs for a morning show producer job. But in less than 4 weeks he quit the six-figure salary we gave him because and I quote, “I don’t think based on my skills, I am being allowed to contribute to the direction of the morning show.”
OM: No sh#t! Well Sam, I have got one to top that. There are so many quality morning people out of work. I took my time to find just the right person to insert into the existing 2-person show. I needed a spark plug with versatility on the air and someone well versed in using social media. After a lot of phone interviews, we narrowed it down to 4 people.
Coach: I hate to cut you off, but was this for the lead position on the show?
OM: No, it was for a strong number 2 person. My anchor just needed someone else strong who could lead if need be. I already have a young lady who is a local comic on the show.
Coach: Okay, I get it, go on.
OM: All the interviews went well, but one guy stood just a touch ahead of the rest. His background included TV and print journalism. Corporate did a background check, called his previous employers and references. He had production skills, knew his way around social media, and had even built a couple of web sites for others. He was working in a medium sized market and seemed excited about the chance to get back to a larger city. His story was that the market was also his hometown and he had returned to take care of his mother after his father had died.
Coach: He sounds skilled and caring.
OM: Funny you say that. It’s what our VP of Marketing thought too. We hired him. I wanted to get him in as soon as possible to gel with the morning crew. COVID has obviously presented new challenges. I’m one of the lucky ones to have a non-syndicated morning show. My new phenom was scheduled to drive in. After agreeing to the date, he called the Monday on the week of he was scheduled to be here and asked if he could change the date because of some last-minute things to take care of involving his mom’s care.
Coach: Was his mother sick?
OM: No, it had to do with finishing up some renovations on the house. He is an only child and after his dad died, she needed his help. We understood since several of us had lost parents and grandparents in recent years. So, we agreed to delay his arrival. That should have been the first tip-off that this guy was not totally committed even though he accepted the job.
Coach: Sorry, but can you give this person a name, I understand why you are not using it, but call him something.
OM: Okay, Mr. Q finally came to town and blended in beautifully with the morning show and everyone in the cluster was impressed with him, especially sales. In fact, the Sales Manager told me on a Zoom call manager’s meeting what a great hire I had made.
Coach: You are painting a picture of bliss so far, when did the wheels fall off the wagon?
OM: It was with little stuff, which I pretty much put to growing pains of a new player inserted into an existing morning cast. To cut to the chase, 5 weeks in, Mr. Q asked me if he could drive back home because his mother was having more problems. So, I told him sure. He left on a Wednesday. He sent an email of resignation at 3am that Friday morning after payday to the Market Manager. I wasn’t copied. The Market Manager called and read it to me at 7:30 in the morning.
Coach: That’s insane, what did the email say? Something happen to his mom; did he take another job? Wasn’t he under contract? Did he explain why he resigned after such a short period of time. Out of curiosity, how much were you paying him?
OM: Mr. Q was getting $110,000 plus bonuses. And, nope, it didn’t involve another job, he just thanked us for the opportunity and never said anything else at the time. By the way, his mom had called me just a few days before this all happened thanking me for hiring her son.
Coach: That’s all good, but I’m waiting for the real explanation. He never said anything to you or anyone else as a tip off?
OM: Not one word. I am telling you, in all my years, I have never been so fooled by anyone. However, after a month or so, Mr. Q did finally reach out and sent me an email with a half-baked story, but to be fair, might be true. Here is a portion what he had to say.
“Hi ####,
I wanted to reach out and give you more of a detailed explanation as to why I left so suddenly. Like it said in my email, there were a variety of reasons. But first off, I wanted to thank you for allowing me the days to come home and see about my mom and my dog. Unfortunately, seeing my dog in such a degraded state did influence my decision, but it wasn't the only reason.
1. Money
It became jarringly obvious that paying both rent and my mom’s mortgage was going to be more of a challenge than I originally expected. My time spent living in xxxx was far from comfortable and I wasn't sure if that was going to improve. After moving from the Extend Stay that you guys paid for during my first two weeks there, I was limited by finances and credit troubles. I was turned down for two apartments and it made me reluctant to keep applying. So, for the past four weeks, I've been at the Budget Stay, near the station. While it is a clean place, it’s a little sketchy in terms of other residents. Its proximity to work made it convenient, but given my money situation, affording a real apartment was not a possibility and I knew I would have to stay at the Budget Stay for at least another two months.
2. My Fear
I know there was a lot of urgency and anxiety with me joining the morning show, and you, L###, and others were trying to get the best out of me. But I draw the line when people start yelling, threatening disciplinary action, creating paper trails, and fostering a tense work environment. Those tactics made me want to go in the other direction. I've worked in hostile environments before and it was detrimental to my well-being. If the pressures from back home weren't so pressing, I would have absolutely been willing to tough out the situation for much, much longer. Every manager (yourself included) all seem like great individuals. Yet, when I hear that I'm being called "hard-headed" and demonstrating "Male diva behavior" (during my third week), from those I have to answer to daily, it added much more stress to an already stress-heavy plate in front of me.
In summary, I apologize to you and the company for leaving like this. I should have been more forthcoming about the reasons why I left. XXXX is a fantastic place to work and you certainly don't have to worry about me badmouthing you or the company. I know the timing of how things played out looks awful, but in the end, I have to look out for the people at home first. As the number 2 on your morning show, I could have really made some noise; I believe that 100%. But leaving my mom and my girlfriend to take care of my responsibilities -- in addition to their own --it was selfish of me. Again, I am very sorry and wish you and your company much, much success.”
Coach: That is wild, especially the reference about his dog being in a degraded state. From everything you said, there was no way you could have seen that coming. He referred to tension in the show, was that true?
OM: Honestly, none of us could figure out what he was taking about. We had critique sessions and I never threatened anyone one with disciplinary action. I even asked the other members of the morning show if I said anything that could have been misinterpreted and they said no. We were all still in shock. It’s too bad because he was really good on the air.
Coach: What is your next move?
OM: I am going to try and make it a 2 person show again.
Coach: Sometimes weird stuff happens. Look, don’t second guess yourself. It sounds like you and your company were thorough in your vetting process. If it helps, I would have been fooled too.
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