We spent a lot of time and resources trying to find just the right person to fill a senior position within our organization, and now it’s become clear that it’s not going to work out. What do we do?

Even the most rigorous recruiting and hiring processes fall short of perfection, as do the human beings who are involved in them. As a consequence, there are times when you’re forced to conclude that an employee is not working out and probably shouldn’t have been hired.

This is a “moment of truth” for a leader. You’re facing the need to undertake a process that’s 100% unpleasant, but one that your organization requires you to do.

Here are some tips to guide you to a successful conclusion.

1. Don’t invest more resources trying to “fix” the situation.

You’ve concluded that the employee in question isn’t working out and isn’t going to. You need to resist the temptation to try to save this person. We tend to over-invest in poor and marginal employees and under-invest in good ones. Good leaders don’t do that.

Don’t extend probation (if it’s still in force) in the hope that the employee who’s producing bad outcomes will magically start producing good ones. This is highly unlikely.

2. Document incidents that support the “bad hire” conclusion.

You want to be sure that these incidents are examples of the employee’s inappropriate behaviour, and not just hearsay. Check the source: do the incidents all involve the same person? This person may in fact be the problem. Can they be corroborated? You need to be satisfied that you’ve diagnosed the situation correctly.

3. See if the employee will acknowledge the issue.

Review the documentation with the employee in an effort to help the individual to conclude what you’ve already concluded: namely, that the employee isn’t working out. Remember that this conclusion is not negotiable. It can be hard to remain firm in the face of denials or special pleadings, but firm you must be.

4. Remember that you’re being watched.

If you’ve decided that the employee is a bad hire, you can be sure that others have already reached the same conclusion. They’re expecting leadership from you. If you deliver, their engagement with the organization will strengthen, as will their commitment to you as a leader.

5. Revisit the process that resulted in the hire.

Something went wrong during the hiring process. Was the hire made under pressure to replace someone quickly? Was the individual referred by an employee whose connection was other than work-related? This is an opportunity to shore up your defenses against a recurrence.

Nothing will remove the unpleasantness from this task. But your ability to see it through will demonstrate leadership at a time when your organization really needs it.

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Tim Rutledge, Ph.D., is Partner, Retention Services and Director of the Centre for Employee Retention and Engagement Services with IQ PARTNERS Inc., an executive search and human resources consulting firm. You can contact Tim at rutledge@iqpartners.com.

Disclaimer: Advice and recommendations are based on limited information provided and should be used as a guideline only. Neither the author nor CharityVillage.com make any warranty, express or implied, or assume any legal liability for accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information provided in whole or in part within this article.