The Bad Hire Podcast

Did you know some hires don’t even make it to lunch on their first day? One threatened a coworker with a box cutter on a smoke break. Another proudly claimed the “Employee of the Month” parking spot, only to end up in a fistfight. And then there was Tom, the retail worker who built a secret “cubby cave” with stolen merchandise and was caught napping instead of stocking shelves.In this episode of The Bad Hire, Ken, Emma, Nathan, and Morgan unpack some of the wildest, weirdest, and downright unbelievable hiring fails yet. You’ll hear about a librarian who spent 90 days doing absolutely nothing, a security guard who quit because he was afraid of the dark, and a bank robber who signed his real name before pulling the job. And just when you think it couldn’t get worse, we meet a line cook whose collapse on the grill led to one of the most surprising redemption stories ever shared on the podcast.These stories will make you laugh, cringe, and wonder how some people even made it past the interview. More than anything, they’re proof that background checks, culture fit, and gut instinct can save you from your next bad hire.And don’t forget: submitting your own bad hire story could win you $10,000 in The Bad Hire contest.Key TakeawaysBackground checks that take six months are basically useless.Sometimes coworkers notice the “bad hire” long before management does.Red flags can be obvious like clipping nails with scissors at your desk.Even the worst bad hire stories can have a redemption arc.Share your bad hire story for a chance to win $10,000.In This Episode[00:00] Introduction[01:15] Reddit stories & call for submissions[03:52] First day disaster: special needs job[05:29] The 90-day do-nothing librarian[07:54] Parking lot fistfight: interview gone wrong[09:49] Manager fired for job hunting on LinkedIn[11:22] Apartment complex employee punches resident[12:08] Temp employee clips nails with scissors[14:55] Security guard afraid of the dark[15:50] Tom and the secret cubby[18:08] Line cook’s drug use and redemption[22:19] Six-month background check delay[24:34] Employee adds urine to ramen[26:11] Interviewing for a girlfriend[28:43] Podcast wrap-up and sponsor messageNotable Quotes[02:05] "Think about the teammate you hired that looked perfect on paper but turned out to be a walking disaster." – Ken Monroe[07:47] "I had a candidate running late for an interview, parked in the employee of the month parking space. As the employee was returning to lunch, she ended up in a fist fight in the parking lot." – Ken Monroe[08:51] "I watched someone get hired for back room, come to orientation, go outside on a smoke break, and immediately threaten someone with their new box cutter." – Ken Monroe[14:59] "I had an employee quit because he was afraid of the dark. But what's funny is that his job was… He was a security guard on the night shift." – Emma[24:39] "A current employee added urine to their ramen in the break room at lunch." – MorganOur HostKen Monroe is the founder of The Bad Hire, a show built from the trenches of business leadership and team building. After making a disastrous hire that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ken shifted his focus to helping businesses avoid similar mistakes. Today, he runs companies that have screened over 40 million candidates, helping organizations make smarter, safer hiring decisions.Resources and LinksSubmit your story – thebadhire.comWebsite – thebadhire.comEmail – ken@thebadhire.comLinkedIn – Ken MonroePodcast Platforms – Available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast apps

What happens when the new hire who seemed perfect on paper turns out to be a total disaster? In this episode of The Bad Hire, Ken Monroe sits down with Emma and Morgan to unpack some of the most unbelievable workplace stories you will ever hear. From imposters who show up pretending to be the candidate who interviewed, to a “six-hour hire” who derailed an entire office on his very first day, these stories show just how unpredictable hiring can be.The team reads through wild submissions from Reddit and personal experiences, including a creepy IT guy who crossed every line, a remote worker who thought shirtless Zoom calls were acceptable, and an arrogant “secret CEO” who tried to run projects nobody asked for. Some of these tales are funny, others are unsettling, but all of them remind us that one bad hire can ripple through an entire workplace.If you’ve ever made a hire you regretted, you’ll laugh, cringe, and nod along with this episode—and maybe even feel inspired to share your own story for a shot at $10,000.Key TakeawaysBad hires drain time, money, and morale.Red flags can appear even before day one.“Perfect” resumes don’t always mean perfect employees.Remote work brings new categories of bad hire behavior.Submitting your story could win you $10,000 in The Bad Hire contest.In This Episode[00:04] Introduction to the show with Ken, Emma, and Morgan[01:00] Reading Reddit’s craziest bad hire stories[02:13] Fake candidate gets caught before the end of day one[05:31] The employee who turned toxic the day after probation ended[08:00] The six-hour hire: ranting, disrupting, and walking out[09:04] Shirtless on Zoom: remote work gone off the rails[13:00] Arrogant “secret CEO” hijacks projects and meetings[16:30] Emma shares her nightmare IT story that went too far[21:05] Ken recalls a sales hire who mixed bourbon with the office parking lot[25:00] Wrap-up, sponsor thanks, and how to submit your own storyNotable Quotes[02:40] “We hired someone who wasn’t even the person we interviewed. By the end of day one, he was gone.” – Ken Monroe[08:30] “He lasted six hours on the job. Four working, two on his ‘decompression lunch.’” – Emma[09:26] “He joined client calls shirtless, lying in bed, nuzzling his cat. That was the last straw.” – Morgan[16:50] “Next thing I know, his nose is literally on my neck. That was the moment I realized we had a really bad hire.” – Emma[21:20] “I walked past his car and saw him passed out with a bottle of bourbon in his lap. It was 2:30 in the afternoon.” – Ken MonroeOur HostKen Monroe is the founder of The Bad Hire, a show built from the trenches of business leadership and team building. After making a disastrous hire that cost him hundreds of thousands of dollars, Ken shifted his focus to helping businesses avoid similar mistakes. Today, he runs companies that have screened over 40 million candidates, helping organizations make smarter, safer hiring decisions.Submit your story – thebadhire.comWebsite – thebadhire.comEmail – ken@thebadhire.comLinkedIn – Ken MonroePodcast Platforms – Available on Apple, Spotify, and all major podcast apps

The Bad Hire is a bold, human-first podcast about hires gone wrong. Hosted by Ken Monroe, CEO of Bchex, each episode unpacks the funniest, strangest, and most shocking bad hire stories from offices, job sites, and teams everywhere. From outrageous résumé lies to first-day meltdowns, these tales will make you laugh, cringe, and say, “there’s no way that’s true.” Not just for HR or recruiters, it’s for anyone who’s worked with that coworker or made a hire they’ll never forget, while revealing the lessons in the chaos.