Two weeks before an ERP launch, finance’s inventory report disagrees with the warehouse count. One candidate for the consulting role knows exactly where to adjust the balance. Another asks for the goods receipt and checks whether the warehouse counted stock at the same cutoff time finance used for its report. If you were hiring someone to help with the launch, what would you want to see them do next?
I read “hire slow, fire fast” as a reason to hire carefully and speak up early when something goes wrong. Assess candidates on the work they’ll do. Once they start, make the expectations clear and find out whether a problem calls for coaching, a process change, or a different role. If employment has to end, base the decision on the facts and handle it fairly.
Writing for People Matters, Alyssa Navarro asks how well the idea travels to Southeast Asia. She makes the case for careful selection, regular feedback during probation, and privacy when employment ends. I’ll apply that question to a fictional ERP implementation team in Thailand. The original People Matters article
Give candidates a problem they’ll face on the job
Before scheduling interviews, I’d agree with the project lead on what the new consultant will own. In this case, that includes tracing discrepancies, explaining the impact to both finance and warehouse staff, and proposing what to check next and who should make the call. Give each candidate the same 30-minute exercise, using a purchase order, a goods receipt, and an inventory report created for the interview.
Ask where they’d start, what else they’d need, and what they’d tell the project lead if they couldn’t explain the discrepancy before launch. Ask everyone the same core questions in the same order. Have each interviewer record what they observed and score it before the panel compares notes. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s structured interview guidance describes the use of common questions and rating standards. The exercise and scoring below are designed for this ERP example. OPM’s structured interview guidance
| What to assess | 1 Insufficient evidence | 2 Demonstrates with prompting | 3 Demonstrates independently |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trace the discrepancy | Proposes adjusting inventory before checking the transactions. | Compares the receipt with the balance when prompted, then needs another prompt about the cutoff time. | Checks receipts, units of measure, and cutoff times, and identifies what information is still missing. |
| Communicate across teams | Blames one team before checking the facts. | Explains where the figures differ when asked, but needs help separating facts from assumptions. | Gives finance and warehouse staff the same account of what’s known and what still needs checking. |
| Manage launch risk | Recommends proceeding or stopping without explaining the conditions for that choice. | Identifies the impact when prompted, but needs help assigning an owner and setting a review time. | Proposes the next check, assigns an owner, and identifies what needs to go to the decision-maker before launch. |
Agree up front on which skills the person needs on day one and which the team can teach. If the job centers on reconciling inventory before launch, a strong presentation score can’t make up for an inability to trace a balance. When interviewers give different scores, go back to what the candidate said or did. That gives the panel something concrete to discuss.
Give feedback while there’s time to act on it
In the first week, the project lead gives the new consultant access to the test system, has them observe receiving in the warehouse, and pairs them with a colleague to review their first reconciliation. They agree on a deliverable for finance that identifies the source transactions, the cutoff time, and what still needs checking.
If the first draft gives only the difference in totals, I’d discuss it as soon as I saw the work. “This report shows the difference, but finance still can’t trace it back to the receipt. Add the receipt numbers and cutoff times for the next draft. Let’s walk through one line together and look at the revision on Thursday.” I’d also ask whether the consultant could access the documents. By the end of the conversation, we’d have an agreed change, someone to help, and a time to look at the revised work together.
Find out what’s getting in the way
- A skill gap. If the consultant can trace the source documents but gets the unit conversion wrong, have an experienced colleague demonstrate it once and let the consultant try the next item.
- A problem in the team’s process. If finance and the warehouse use different cutoff times, or the consultant lacks access to receipts, the manager should fix that before assessing the next piece of work.
- A mismatch with the role. If the consultant has had the tools, guidance, and a reasonable chance to improve and still can’t do the core work independently, review what their work shows. If there’s a genuine opening that fits their skills, discuss whether a move is feasible.
- Possible misconduct. If there are signs that someone may have changed records without authorization, address the immediate risk, preserve the evidence, and work with HR to establish the facts and hear from the people involved before deciding what to do.
If employment has to end, explain the reasons and next steps
Before deciding, the manager and HR should review the facts, the expectations communicated to the employee, the support the company provided, and the employee’s account. For employment in Thailand, check the contract, company rules, and applicable law for the particular case, including any notice, pay or severance, and disciplinary requirements. Thailand’s Department of Labour Protection and Welfare contact information
Once a decision is final, explain it in private. Cover the factual reason, effective date, paperwork, any payments, and who can answer questions. Give the rest of the team the information they need to take over the work.
If you’re the person delivering the news, see the sample termination conversation for what to say, how to answer questions about pay and paperwork, and how to hand over work.
Before posting the next opening, I’d ask the project lead to pick one real piece of work and answer two questions. What would we look for in that work during the interview, and who would help the new hire review a similar assignment in their first week? Any unanswered question gives the team something to prepare before it meets candidates.