4 Signs It’s Time to Let Go of an Employee

I was in a networking event last week where I met a business owner and a classmate, Silas (not his real name. As we were sharing our business experiences, he gave me a story of a conflict he was going through.

‘’ I have had this employee for the last 7 years in my company. Over the years, they are good at their job and to add on to that, they have the company knowledge and history. However, I feel that their presence is doing me more harm than good.

They no longer bring anything new to the business. They conflict with other employees thus making it hard for me to retain good talent that contributes to the business success. The negative attitude is even extending to the clients making me lose business.

I asked Silas why despite all these signs, he had not fired the said employee.

‘‘They know the business and I might not be able to replace that and that is why I think I have given them so many chances to prove me wrong. I am also not sure if I did that, I would be in line with the employment law’’

From the experiences I have encountered from most of the clients I hire for, it is something common.  Despite employees showing all the signs and no improvement, we do not fire them because of fear of consequence in one way or another.

Here are some of the signs to look out for when it is time to let employees go;

1. Poor Performance

Have you ever experienced an employee that is not able to perform even after giving them feedback and chances? Then it is time to let them go as it affects the rest of the team’s work and general productivity.

Such an employee will often miss deadlines, do work poorly and that may lead to their colleagues picking up their slack. They may not be able to retain clients or even get them. They often don’t. achieve their KPIs which at the end affects the business success.

2. Lack of Integrity

I remember a client who had an accountant, who was really good at his job but when it came to petty cash management, something was not adding up. He later found out that he was using the money for personal use and cooking up the report.

The said employee had brought in positive changes in the department which was good for business but they could not trust him anymore.

For such a case, their strengths may sometimes not matter if you cannot trust them and therefore have to let them go.

3. They Cause A Toxic Work Environment

Silas’s employee caused a toxic environment affecting not only the employee’s morale and productivity but also caused him to lose clients.

He had to spend more time and resources replacing employees and trying to get his clients back.

A toxic employee can be detrimental to business as seen in Silas’s case. You not only spend so much time firefighting, spend more money hiring and lose clients but your brand is also at risk.

 4. They Have a Negative Attitude

I was once in a meeting where an employee kept shutting down other people’s ideas. They indicated that the way they had always done things worked and they didn’t need new ideas as it was not certain they could impact change.

Such kinds of employees tend not to be flexible and are resistant to change. They are also not willing to learn new skills or self-improve thus nothing new is added to the business.

However, when letting go of staff, remember to follow the due process and labour laws. If you are not familiar with the Kenyan labour laws, consider using an HR practitioner to avoid common pitfalls that befall who do not follow the process.

Conclusion

You may have seen these signs in your company and to ensure that your business is not affected, consider taking the necessary steps that suit your business needs.