Why Firing Under performers is Essential for Your Business

June 1, 2023

In my years of experience as a leader, I have seen under performers bringing down companies. The truth is, sometimes you need to fire people who are not meeting expectations to move your business forward.

As someone who is supposed to help leaders hire talent, I know it may seem counterintuitive for me to suggest firing employees. However, it's important to understand that under performers can have a significant negative impact on the team and the business as a whole.

Let me tell you a story. I once had an under performer working for me. He was happy doing the bare minimum and collecting a pay check. Despite my feedback and attempts to create a development plan, his performance did not improve.

After digging deeper, I discovered that he had gotten the role through nepotism and had never truly wanted to be there. He was just comfortable with the status quo. Despite my attempts to improve his performance, I had to give him an "under performance" review at the end of the year.

As you can imagine, he was not happy about this and got HR and higher-ups involved. He was eventually moved to another team, but the problem just shifted from one team to another. The business chose to ignore my assessment, and I ended up resigning soon after because I lost trust in the company.

This experience taught me that companies really need to "fire" underperforming people. However, it needs to be done in the right way. Here are my simple steps:

1.   Identify under performers: Keep track of employees' performance and identify those who are not meeting expectations.

2.   Give them a chance: Provide feedback and create a development plan to help employees improve.

3.   Make a decision: If the employee does not improve, it may be time to let them go.

Throughout this process, it's important to be human and treat employees with respect. Being fired can be a difficult experience, but it can also be the trigger one needs to find a career they truly love.

Ultimately, it's important to hire high performers and fire under performers. This may be tough, but it's essential for the success of your business. Don't be afraid to make tough decisions and move your company forward.