Ask Jo Malone: Hire properly or pay the price

Dear Jo,

Do you have any tips on firing staff who have not met their targets? I employed a head of marketing three months ago — after a lengthy recruitment process — for my business, which manufactures computer components. He promised several key business wins but has failed to deliver, and we set these targets out verbally. Where do I stand?

I’m afraid I don’t have tips on firing people, but rather advise on how to go about hiring in the right way. Whenever I’m looking to recruit someone into my business, it’s mine and the team’s responsibility to ensure they have the right experience, contacts and character early on. It’s a huge investment, both financially and emotionally, so take your time getting it right.

We always interview in different ways to find out as much as we can about each person and find that, after the initial interview, it’s good to set a project to see first-hand how they approach a challenge, how they implement their experience and how they choose to present their thoughts back to the team. This is such a good indicator as to whether or not they have the right skills set and attitude, but it’s not enough.

It’s vital to find out what makes them tick outside the office — how do they spend their spare time? What are they passionate about? By this point, I’m confident whether they have the right experience, attitude and personality to fulfil the role and work within the team. That said, I’ve learned that a candidate will often over-promise, simply because they desperately want the job. Don’t hold them to those promises because, as you’re now experiencing, it can sometimes lead to disappointment.