If you've ever hired someone who was struggling a few months into the job, you probably know that sinking feeling of wondering if you made a hiring mistake. Don't fret — it happens to everyone. Hiring isn't an exact science, and even the best managers will sometimes get it wrong. But when a new hire doesn't work out, spend some time figuring out what went wrong.
What to do first
Review your training.
Be honest with yourself and your team — did your new hire get a reasonably organised, thorough introduction to their role and how to do things? Sometimes the workplace is so busy that we throw new people in the deep end without a lot of guidance. If that happened, take a deep breath and pause to re-introduce and cover the basics. Like, now.
Review your expectations.
How clearly have you explained what performing exceptionally in the role looks like? Avoid making assumptions and hoping for the best. Ask yourself whether you've been giving transparent and direct feedback on their work. Did you share with them if you want something done differently? Have you shared work examples of what you're looking for? If you haven't done some serious sharing, take a step back and book a one-to-one. Yes, you guessed it — now.
"But I've done all of the above, and the person still can't get up to speed. What do I do?"
Be realistic about their potential.
Some skills can be developed rather quickly — Photoshop or managing productivity tools like Trello, with a bit of coaching. However, other skills, like reporting, video producing or coding, are much harder to learn and practise fast. Be honest with yourself about what's realistic.
Be honest with them.
Your new hire should know about your concerns. Explain how and why they're not meeting your expectations — be specific. Don't sugar-coat your concerns; it's better to be direct about where things stand than to avoid the message and make the person feel blindsided by what happens later.
Be fair and open.
Allow your new hire to explain what they think the problem might be and listen with an open mind — but be honest if you don't agree or can't do what they say they need. Being honest about your needs can be tough, but it's the best and most fair approach for everyone involved.
Be decisive and take action.
If your conversation went well and gave you hope that the person might be able to improve, give things a few more weeks to see if that happens. But if you concluded that the person's skills aren't the right fit for the role, be honest, and move quickly toward transitioning the person out of the position.
It's a difficult decision to make, but also the right one — for the new hire, for you, for your team and for your business. Each one of us deserves to be in a job that we're a good fit for.