Hiring and firing

Year 4 | Business management

Getting hiring and firing right is probably the highest-leverage skill in management. The right person in the right seat changes everything. The wrong person in any seat slowly poisons the whole team.

Hiring:

The goal isn’t finding the “best” person — it’s finding the right fit for this role, this team, this stage of the company.

• Define the role clearly — before you talk to anyone, know exactly what success looks like. What will this person do in the first 90 days? What are the must-have skills vs. nice-to-have?
• Culture fit matters — skills can be taught. Values and work ethic are much harder to change. Hire for alignment with your team’s culture.
• Use structured interviews — ask every candidate the same questions. This reduces bias and makes comparison fair.
• Check references — actually call them. Ask specific questions: “Would you hire this person again?” The pause before the answer tells you everything.
• Hire slow — the cost of a bad hire (in money, time, and team morale) is enormous. It’s better to leave a seat empty than fill it wrong.

Firing:

Nobody enjoys this. But keeping the wrong person is unfair to them, to your team, and to yourself.

• Don’t surprise people — if someone isn’t performing, they should know well before termination. Clear feedback, documented conversations, a chance to improve.
• Act when you know — once you’ve decided, don’t drag it out. Every week you delay, the problem compounds.
• Be direct and respectful — state the decision clearly. Don’t soften it into ambiguity. But be kind about it.
• Fire fast, but not in anger — the decision should be rational, not emotional.

The hardest lesson: hire slow, fire fast. Most managers do the opposite.