Kim Pickett owns a small advertising and branding agency, Kimbo Design Inc. Three years ago, she hired an administrative assistant. At first the new hire seemed to be working out well. Three weeks after starting, she told Pickett her father had died and she needed to go to Ontario. Pickett held the job open for the new employee.
“She came back and worked for me for three hours,” Pickett said. “In that time she took my credit card; she went across the street and took $500 out. I had sent her out to pick up some dry cleaning, so she had all my cards.”
The employee then left again, saying she couldn’t work because she was so distraught over her father’s death.
Pickett didn’t realize anything was wrong until two weeks later.
“I got a call from TD Bank and they asked me if I wrote any cheques, and I said, ‘No, everything is computerized,’” she said. The bank told her the ex-employee had cashed several handwritten cheques that appeared to be signed by Pickett.
“I couldn’t believe it, the sick feeling that I got,” she said.
All in all, the former employee had taken $10,000. Pickett was able to get most of the money back, but it took a month of her time. Pickett did some research and discovered there was a warrant for her ex-assistant’s arrest in Ontario. When Pickett called other workplaces listed on the former employee’s resumé, she heard similar stories – but because of the extra effort involved, those businesses hadn’t reported the employee to the police. Pickett did.
Pickett has since changed her hiring process. She requires a criminal record check for anyone who “touches the financials” and more thoroughly vets references. She also involves her entire team in the interview process and encourages her staff to refer people they know.
“The more I tell my story, the more [I hear] it has happened to a lot of small businesses,” Pickett said.
“You always hear about it; you see it on TV, but you never think you’ll actually come into contact with these people.”
On hiring slowly | “I started as a freelancer and I moved here from Ontario, and I built up the company. I was a designer, a programmer, an accountant, and I just split myself up every time I got too busy and that’s how I hired. If I got overly busy doing one thing, that’s when I knew I needed to hire. And if an employee gets too busy and they’re doing two different jobs, I know I need to cut them in half and develop a new position. It’s up and down: you get a big contract or campaign and then it’s gone – but I want to keep my staff.”
Has a work or life challenge taught you a key career lesson? Contact Jen St. Denis at [email protected]
