Struggling Marketing Executive: How Can HR Support and Avoid Rehiring?

My query is, if a newly hired marketing executive is unable to meet their targets, what can we do as an HR manager? Additionally, how can we avoid recruiting a new candidate for the same position again?

The title of your post and the content of the post are a bit confusing to me. Just by reading the title, I thought that the query is about a Marketing Executive donning the role of an HR Manager, and fortunately, it is not so. HR is a staff function only. It is the functional head, i.e., the marketing manager, who decides whether to retain the failing new hire by giving them the opportunity to improve or to send them out during probation itself on the grounds of non-suitability. Whatever their decision, you have to ensure its implementation with reference to the terms of the contract of employment or your service regulations. You can inform the marketing head about your constraints in simultaneously keeping the non-performer and appointing a new one for the same post.

Dear Amruta Giri,

Rome was not built in a day; similarly, do not expect it to happen in a day. As per your posting, the candidate is new, and definitely, one would take time to reach the target.

Assessing the Target

In general, everywhere, the target is always fixed at a higher site. You need to analyze whether the target is not superficial and also check what the earlier target remained. It is required to calculate the shortfall percentage to the target.

Options for Improvement

If you do not wish to hire a new person, then there is one option left: give some more time. The candidate may be lacking in boosting. Call the candidate and ask him to explain what difficulties stand as hurdles. It all requires an assessment to sort out the problem and do not assert that a new one would do the miracle.

As an HR professional, you should have suggested your approach to this and asked for views from the learned members. You should find ways to facilitate and enable him to bring up his performance to the expected level by giving him a reasonable opportunity. Every individual has tremendous unutilized potential to cross barriers in performance, and it is HR's responsibility to help him bring it to bear on the job rather than getting into fault-finding mode.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant

Analyzing the Performance of a Newly Recruited Marketing Executive

Is it not too early to write the obituary of the newly recruited Marketing Executive? The failure to reach the target needs to be analyzed. Is it because of a lack of attitude, lack of training, or market constraints? If the incumbent has the right attitude, then other reasons do not matter much, and sooner or later, this individual could be a bright star. But if the problem is a lack of attitude, then perhaps he does not deserve another chance, and you may implement what the Marketing Manager feels about him.