Inside the Interview – Part 2: What Happens When a Hire Goes Wrong

Paul Wagenaar

Most managers hate admitting when a hire isn’t working out.

So they delay the conversation.

They hope the problem fixes itself.

Or they quietly tolerate issues that affect the whole team.

But ignoring a bad fit rarely solves anything. Sooner or later every leader faces the same reality: not every hire works out.

In the latest article in my Inside the Interview series, I talk about what good managers actually do when hiring goes wrong, and how to handle the situation professionally, fairly, and responsibly.

Part 1:  The “Why” Behind Interview Questions

Paul Wagenaar

Most job seekers think interviews are about giving the “right” answers.

After conducting hundreds of interviews, I’ve learned something different.
Employers are not just listening to your answers, they are deciding whether you can solve their problem.

Strong candidates understand this and approach every question differently.

Here are some of the most common interview questions and what employers are really trying to learn.

I Thought I Understood My Community. I Was Wrong.

Paul Wagenaar

Six years ago, I left the “for-profit” world for a short-term non-profit contract. I didn’t know what to expect, nor if I’d even be accepted or be useful.

What I found was a world full of steep learning curves, invisible heroes, and challenges I’d never imagined. In six years, I’ve learned more about my community, the struggles with poverty, addiction, housing, and systemic barriers, than decades in retail ever taught me.

I’ve seen incredible people pour heart and soul into work with no guarantees, no recognition, just a relentless drive to make a difference. Their dedication reshaped how I approach leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving.

Next month, I step into a new volunteer role as the Chairperson of our United Way, inspired to encourage others to act: support charities, lift wages, donate time, and focus on long-term impact. Real change isn’t about us, it’s about the people and communities we live in.

“Here Be Dragons” – Taking the Path Less Travelled:

Paul Wagenaar

Terror often isn’t loud. It’s the email sitting unsent. The draft opened and closed five times. The fear of bothering someone. The tight chest. The overthinking.

Cold calling feels like entering dragon territory.

But when 70–80% of jobs are never posted, waiting quietly is often the riskier move. Email outreach creates space, space to think, regulate, and act without real-time pressure. You’re not asking for a job. You’re starting a conversation.

You don’t have to be fearless. You just have to press send.
Go make the dragon smaller.

BUILDING FUTURES: Hiring Summer Students

Paul Wagenaar

Every summer, organizations hire students to fill short-term roles. Few stop to consider that they are shaping long-term futures.

For many students, a summer job is their first real encounter with responsibility, accountability, and workplace culture. It is where reputations begin. It is where habits are formed. It is where confidence is either strengthened or quietly eroded.

For employers, hiring students is not simply a staffing decision. It is a leadership decision. It is a choice about whether to treat young people as temporary labour, or as emerging professionals.

When approached intentionally, summer employment becomes more than seasonal work. It becomes mentorship, community investment, and the foundation of someone’s career.

“A Reasonable Expectation of Humanity”

Paul Wagenaar

We move through and interact with dozens of organizations and people every day, healthcare, government, work, housing, commerce, and community spaces. Most interactions are brief, yet over time they quietly shape our sense of dignity, trust, and belonging.

This post explores a simple idea: a reasonable expectation of humanity in those interactions. Not perfection or special treatment, but clarity, respect for time, basic human regard, competence with humility, fairness, and accountability when things go wrong.

As you read, notice where these standards are present in your own interactions, and where they quietly fall away. And if you work inside an organization that holds power over others, consider how humanity is supported by design, not just individual effort.

As with most of my posts, this is a little longer than most, thank you for taking the time to read.

“Seasonal Home Care Through Attention, Rhythm, and Practical Wisdom”

Paul Wagenaar

Homes speak quietly. This is a longer post, I know, but it’s worth five unhurried minutes. Drawing on witchcraft philosophy and generations of folk wisdom, “Burping Your House” explores how paying attention through the seasons can prevent bigger problems later. Blending practical Canadian home care with mindful observation, it’s a reminder that care, timing, and gratitude are a kind of everyday magic.

You Don’t Need a Perfect Resume … You Need a Path, a Place to Start When the Usual Advice Doesn’t Fit

Paul Wagenaar

This is a longer blog. I won’t pretend it isn’t.

But job searching is exhausting, and the usual tips often make it worse. So I wrote something slower, steadier, and more honest.

It’s a practical framework to help anyone looking for work, or someone supporting them, to see where they are, what’s working, and what deserves energy next. No judgment. No rush. Just clarity.

You don’t need to fix everything. You just need your next step.

📌 If that resonates, it’s worth a read, and please share it with anyone you know who’s on this journey.

The Job seeker’s Playbook

Paul Wagenaar

You can find a job on your own, but it’s easier with the right tools.

As a career advisor in a non-profit organization, I know that one weekly meeting isn’t enough. Job searching is an acquired skill, built through practice, reflection, and momentum, not perfection.

With direct input from job seekers, we created The Job Seeker’s Playbook, a practical, strength-based tool designed to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed, protect confidence, and turn job searching into small, winnable weekly actions.

Built from lived experience, not theory, it helps job seekers build skills, stand out, and take ownership of their search, at their own pace.

Retail: The Lessons, the Pressure, and the Price

Paul Wagenaar

Retail has a way of shaping you for what comes next. It builds judgment under pressure, people skills that actually work, and leadership grounded in reality, not theory.

In my latest blog, I explore how experience in retail prepares you for future growth: which skills travel well beyond the sales floor, how to keep evolving without burning out, and what it takes to build a career rooted in integrity and purpose.

If you’re in retail now, transitioning out, or rethinking your next chapter, this piece is written with you in mind.