How To Hire And Fire Successfully

At first, it may strike you as odd to think of firing someone as something that can be done "successfully", but there are more elements to being a manager who hires and fires than you think. A good piece of advice often given out in the business world to those new at management is that you should hire people slowly, and fire people quickly. It's one of the hardest parts of being a manager, so here's how to do both:

Hiring

Recruitment is an expensive process, but for this reason, many new managers make the mistake of rushing into it. The first consideration is if the position absolutely needs to be filled - could you promote someone instead? Do you really have such a skills gap in the workforce that you need to bring in a new team member who will need training? This is a good thing to consider before you go ahead with a recruitment drive.

Many managers are tempted to skimp on advertising and paying out lots of money to find a good candidate. If you don't advertise in the correct trade papers (and more than once, too) then your ad is not going to get in front of the quality candidates because you haven't given it enough effort and time. Make sure you have a good selection to shortlist from - if you end up giving someone a job because they're the only one that turned up, then that's a bad start all round.

Make sure you have more than one person on the interview panel, because some people can see gaps where others can't, and it helps you be more objective about the candidate. Ask all the candidates the same questions, and make the process as fair as possible. It goes without saying, but always choose the best candidate for the job, rather than the person best at selling themselves. That's a good trait, but make sure their references back up what they've said.

Basically, any laziness in the recruitment process, whether it's lack of effort in advertising or not going through an interview thoroughly, will only turn around and bite you in the end. Then, you may find yourself in the unenviable position of...

Firing

It's always hard firing someone, whether it's just because you can't afford them (redundancy) or because they aren't performing, it can be a difficult and emotional process for all involved.

First, as with hiring, assess ether firing or letting someone go is the only option. Would they take a demotion instead, if they are loyal to the company? Could they move to a more inexpensive office or location? Can you re-train them in a different role?

If they are being fired due to a disciplinary procedure or non-performance, this can be a difficult process too. Make sure that you absolutely adhere to company policy - if you don't, you can find yourself at the centre of an unfair dismissal case. Always check for factors such as stress, medical reasons, and things they have to deal with at home that may be hidden from you as the employer but if solved, could bring them back to the position where they can work.

Don't take firing too personally - it's part of the ebb and flow of management life, and if you are too attached to a certain person as an employee or how it will affect the rest of the team, it can be difficult. Seek other managers in your position to advise and help you, and it will make this most painful of management processes that little more bearable.