Firing Dilemma: How Do You Handle Letting Go of a Struggling Employee in Need?

A Tricky Situation: How to Handle Firing When an Employee Needs a Job?

What do you do when you have an employee who is in dire need of a job but does not perform? He is in his probation period and is not performing even after the first warning. Should you fire him?

Dear Gazal,

There are two issues about this probationer. One is his dire need for a job, and the other is his sense of responsibility. You are looking at the former but not the latter. If he were a responsible person, then he should have improved his performance.

If, after giving a warning on his poor performance, he fails to improve, then either he is unfit for the job or lacks a sense of responsibility. If he is unfit for the job, then it showcases poor recruitment. The organization is responsible for wasting time and resources on this person. If he is fit and qualified to do the job but not performing, then he lacks a sense of responsibility. Why are you taking a guilt trip for his weakness?

"You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink," goes the famous adage. Why feel sorry for a horse that prefers to be thirsty rather than move for the water?

Managers or HR professionals need to think from the head. Let the thoughts originate in the heart, but they should pass through the head. By removing the under-performing probationer, you will be doing justice to the organization. His removal will send a signal to everybody that your organization values the culture of performance. As an HR professional, you should put the organization's interest before the individual's interest. Therefore, go ahead and sack him if the situation merits sacking!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

I echo Dinesh; introspection might help. What is the cause of underperformance? You hired him because he was the right fit for the role you required. Underperformance can be triggered by many reasons, both internal and external. Assuming that you have offered support to help him perform, followed by a warning, how has the new hire responded to the support? It's easy to fire, but with that, hiring costs double, not to mention the training efforts that go down the drain. Work with the new hire and help him perform. He took up the job because he wanted to do something with his skills, not just earn money. Identify the motivations and coach him. A leader of mine once told me, "You don't need managers to make performers perform. Make the underperformer perform and show me your potential." Wish you all the best!

Have a one-on-one discussion with the employee. If he is going through a rough patch in his personal life, which is also the reason for his poor performance, but he has the competence to show results in the near future, you may want to consider this appropriately. Be guided by your conscience.

Since you have been a member of this forum since February 2015, it may be pertinent to suggest that you provide all the relevant inputs for the other members to offer practical and workable suggestions or solutions. Otherwise, you are leaving the facts of the case to each member's understanding of the situation (which could be right or wrong) — in the process, losing sight of the best possible solution that can work for you.

1. What's your locus standi — are you the HR?
2. What is the function of this employee — workman or executive level?
3. It would be better if you could elaborate on the actions that have 'so far' been taken by the company — if at all. Like Dinesh Divekar and (Cite Contribution) pointed out, a lot usually depends on 'from what/which angles' was the counseling/interaction between the employee and the company in such situations — whether any workable solution emerges.
4. Any idea of his family background? Quite often, the employee hesitates to share family issues that could be affecting his/her work performance unless someone from the organization spends some time and effort to understand his/her personal issues (for which again it depends on the sort of comfort level the organization has tried to create). Since you say he is still in probation, I am not so sure if this has been done.
5. Have you checked his interpersonal relationships with his boss/peers? Are there any issues on that front?

In a nutshell, what exactly is/are the problem(s) from your perspective? Forget about the solutions for now. Unless one knows the problem, I don't think one can even work towards a solution, let alone find it/them.

As (Cite Contribution) mentioned, "It's easy to fire." However, never foreclose that option — it has to be available as the last one on the table. If you give any indication to any employee that 'firing' is not an option, you are bound to have other behavioral/attitude issues that you will find tougher to handle later.

Please give more details of the case so that the members can lead you to the most realistic, workable, and relevant suggestions.

Regards,
TS

Your instant reply is highly appreciated! We had not checked his past performances, and no reference check was done. The performer is at a junior level and comes from a normal background. We will take care of these things in the future.

I think I shall go with your suggestion of focusing on my company's growth as a whole rather than individual growth.

Since I am new to HR and have a lot to learn, I appreciate everyone's time.

Thanks & Regards,
Gazal Kalia.

I think you missed a small — BUT CRUCIAL — point of what all the members mentioned/suggested. Please note that "taking care of my company's growth on a whole and not individual growth" is a misnomer and IMPRACTICAL. Any organization's growth is intimately LINKED with each and every employee's growth — except that 'where' you draw the line for each employee would be different depending on the situations/conditions vis-a-vis each of them. What Dinesh Divekar and (Cite Contribution) were suggesting/referring to was this aspect of the choices — at least that's how I understood it.

No organization can thrive with the employees unhappy over the long term OR over major issues.

All the best.

Regards, TS

It's good you decided to act on the advice of (Cite Contribution) / Dinesh and Taj Sateesh. Keep in mind that poor performance may be due to a lack of training imparted to an employee or the work assigned to him/her is beyond his capabilities. In my long career of three and a half decades, I have seen very efficient workers failing miserably when assigned roles involving difficult decision-making. So, please analyze these aspects before invoking the last option of sacking him.

Steps to Evaluate an Employee's Suitability

First, check his past performance. Secondly, assess his interest in the work. If he is not suitable for a given job, determine which department he might fit well in and discuss his passion for another role. Give him a chance, and then make a decision.

Understanding the Implications of Employee Termination

By sacking the employee, an opportunity to work further in that job profile and company is denied. However, as an organization, it is important to realize what the shortcomings were and their causes. Was it knowledge, skill, or attitude? This is very important for the organization. If these things are identified, they can be focused upon during the recruitment process. This enables identifying the right person and minimizes the chance of failure. Thank you.

Regards.

Understanding the Impact of Dismissal

By dismissing the employee, an opportunity to continue working in that job profile and company is denied. However, as an organization, it is important to realize what the shortcomings were and their causes. Was it knowledge, skill, or attitude? This is crucial for the organization. If these issues are identified, they can be focused on during the recruitment process. This enables the identification of the right person and minimizes the chance of failure.

Thank you.

Regards.