Anthony Scaramucci’s 10-day stint as White House Communications Director is seen as indicative of the unchecked chaos that appears to be raging through the White House.
Partly, this is because the former Wall Street financier is not the only senior figure to be fired in Trump’s six-month stint as US President.
Previously, Reince Priebus, Sean Spicer, Michael Dubke, Michael Flynn, Sally Yates and James Comey, amongst others, have all felt the business end of the ex-Apprentice host’s: “You’re fired.”
Yet, according to a recent Gartner study, one-in-five employees should have not have been hired at all – which might the problem with the apparent revolving-door at the front of Trump’s White House.
Speaking exclusively to HR Grapevine, Nick Shaw, Managing Director, UK & Ireland, Gartner, explained that if Trump used watertight assessment tools, hiring decisions would be more informed.
He said: “The only way to ensure the right high-quality candidates are identified and hired is through introducing greater objectivity into the recruitment process. By combining science-based assessment tools with human interpretation of the results and a greater understanding of the competencies required in the role, organisations are three times more likely to identify people that will succeed in the role and fit within a company’s culture than if they used human judgement alone.”
As Trump has already lost a Chief of Staff, a Deputy Chief of Staff, a National Security Advisor, two Communications Directors and a Press Secretary, he might be minded to follow Shaw’s advice.
Shaw explains: “Some new hires just aren’t a good match for the role and/or they’re not a good fit to the culture of the organisation.”
As the White House is currently riddled by leaks and an explosive, Scaramucci was perhaps not the most prudent hire.
His 10 days were defined by ego, very-public defenestration of colleagues and expletive-laden interviews with big media.
As Simon Briffa, Internal Talent Manager, Sellick Partnership adds: “A poor hire can cost a lot of time and money in the long run, not to mention the reputational damage in cases as high profile as Scaramucci. When a gap in the workforce arises - whether due to staff leaving the company or business growth that requires more personnel - it can be tempting to fill the void as quickly as possible.
“It is more important to take a step back and find the right candidate.”
