Sometimes one bad apple can spoil the rest, and at other times, even if the other workers hold their ground and don’t let themselves be spoiled, we are simply throwing money away on a salary, or, worse still, that person is costing the company money. There’s a premise I’ve always applied to every kind of relationship, whether romantic, business or work.
For me, relationships should add something to my life, never take something away. If my girlfriend gives me more problems than joys, that’s the moment I consider trading her in for a cat. So how do you know when the time has come, or what the signs are that you should fire an employee?
1. When an employee brings nothing but problems.
At any level of the company, whether we’re talking about a salesperson or a head of department, if we have to spend much of our time sorting out their conflicts, that person is eating into our time and productivity, and so breaking the “invisible” agreement behind every hire: “I’m hiring you to bring me results and good news, not more problems than I had before I hired you.”
Nor should we forget that sometimes we don’t realise the problem has taken root in a management position, and when the bad apple is the one who has to lead a team, that’s bad news.
See also: 7 types of toxic people who shouldn’t stay in your company a minute longer
2. The employee doesn’t meet expectations.
Everyone needs time to learn the ropes in a new company, but if, once the learning period we consider normal is over, the employee constantly needs help and attention from colleagues to do their job, it doesn’t matter that they’re a good person giving it 100%. If they can’t do any better, that person is a waste of time and money for the company. Since we run a business and not a charity, we will have to politely let this employee go. Remember: if you want to be a competitive company, you need to work with competent people.
3. The employee doesn’t adapt to change.
We live in a business world that changes constantly, where companies that don’t adapt and aren’t nimble in the face of change tend to die. That’s why, during a period of change in how we do things, or of changes that come from the growth we’re experiencing, an employee who doesn’t adapt to the company’s new style or its new pace of work is probably not the right person to take part in that change.
See also: How to find happiness at work and keep employees motivated
4. The employee lacks motivation.
In 90% of cases, employees’ lack of motivation isn’t the employees’ fault but the fault of management, which hasn’t known how to dangle “the carrot” properly in front of its staff. The problem is that, as the owner, you can’t fire yourself, so when faced with an employee who shows no interest in or motivation for the company or their job, you’ll have to let them go. But be careful: if the lack of motivation affects several employees, I insist that the problem probably lies with management.
See also: 10 ways you, as a manager, are making your employees less productive
5. The employee embarrasses the company.
Some employees simply embarrass the company’s image every time they deal with customers. And I know we shouldn’t meddle in what employees do outside work, but I remember once coming across a human resources director causing a scene in a pub on a Saturday night. Do you want to know what I thought? Literally: “If company X has this idiot hiring its staff, what must the people he hires be like?”
And I know everyone can do whatever they like at the weekend, but if you’re a “clown” on Saturday, you’re still the same clown trying to hide it on Monday, and so your weekend image embarrasses the company you work for.
6. They don’t bring money into the company.
Finally, we might even think about keeping the clown above if he’s very profitable for us and doesn’t upset the harmony of the work teams. As we explained in the real reasons you’ll get hired, when a company hires someone, it’s looking for profit. Bring me sales and I’ll find you a nice guy, and I might even laugh at your bad jokes. Bring me money and, as long as you don’t disturb the harmony of the company, I might not even fire you for being late; but bring me lots of money.
The most common reason for firing an employee is that keeping them on isn’t profitable. One way to escape the cuts in a company is to show that your work is still very profitable and that the company would lose money by letting you go. Otherwise, an employee who costs more than they bring in isn’t worth it.
And now let’s look at the 10 signs that you’re burned out at work and should leave your company.
Featured image: Shams948, CC0 1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
