Fire with care

Silicon Valley's "hire fast, fire fast" mantra has been widely accepted for years. While "hire fast" might have some merit (a topic for another time), "fire fast" is an overly simplistic approach that can cost organizations dearly.

It’s never a quick fix

You hire someone who impresses everyone during the interview. Two months in, they're not meeting expectations. The immediate reaction? "Time to consider a replacement."

A few consequences:

• Firing and hiring is not only emotionally taxing for the new hire, the manager and some of the colleagues; it’s also financially draining. You waste money on new hires, precious time on onboarding and slow down the organization until the replacement comes in.
• Workflows get disrupted, other team member will have to work double, information gets lost.
• The employer brand will gradually be affected by all the failed attempts, and fewer candidates will apply to join the organization.
• The other employees will soon understand that the HR and management processes are dysfunctional and will lose trust or worst, take advantage of it.

A few bad hires happen to every organization. Developing a culture of firing too fast, too often is a symptom of deeper issues.

Also organizations sometimes deserve some tough love

Instead of rushing to let someone go, here are a few questions you should consider asking yourself. A bit harsh, but worth it:

1. Did you provide the new hire with all the necessary information to understand their job and gradually learn how to perform it? Or did you overwhelm them with a hectic onboarding, expecting them to understand all of it immediately and hit the ground running?
2. Did you make clear to the new hire who are the people they can reach out to for questions or support? Do those people know that they are supposed to help and support? Are there internal politics or toxic norms that prevent new hires to connect with those colleagues?
3. Does the new hire have access to all the necessary infrastructure? Office equipment, app subscriptions, etc? More importantly: a proper budget, the autonomy needed, capable service providers and trusted partners?
4. Are your expectations from the new hire realistic? Were you expecting results too soon, or on a non-realistic standard for someone who just switched workplaces?
5. Are you judging only the employee’s side, and ignoring that also their manager’s performance should be evaluated? Could it be that also the manager has a share in the new hire’s failure? Can the new hire be managed better, so that they will perform better?

New hires are not plug-and-play robots. They're individuals who may bring unexpected skills and knowledge to the table, but they need the right environment to expose them and eventually integrate in the wider organizational efforts.

The right reason to fire someone

Firing is essential when there’s a clear misalignment between the individual's skills and character and the job description and organizational culture.

But before you go all "Apprentice" on your new hire, give them a real shot. You might just find that with a little patience and the right support, they're the next big thing your company needs.

It's not worth wasting time on hiring and firing when we haven't even given the person the opportunity to adapt to the organization - and given the organization the opportunity to learn how to work with the person.

In the world of hiring, patience isn't just a virtue—it's a strategic advantage.