7 Signs It’s Time to Move On From An Employee
When deciding on whether or not to move on from an employee, there are many things to consider. Is there a chance the employee just needs more training? If I move on from this employee, will the next one be even worse? I spent all these hours training this employee, is it better to hold off so I don’t have to start the training process all over again?
While many managers have different approaches when dealing with underperforming employees, there is one thing that managers have difficulty deciding, is it better to move on or stick it out?
There are some scenarios that all managers know when to move on from an employee. If an employee is stealing from your business, taking advantage of the company credit card to buy personal items, or physically harming others you work with or customers, majority of managers will let that individual go.
Other than those two scenarios, it can be difficult to decide on whether or not to move on from an employee.
Here are some other scenarios when you should consider moving on from an employee.
1) When an employee is not open to new ideas or suggestions.
Your company’s success is not only based on you product or service but on the employees you have, making it essential for them to continue to grow. Employees who are not open to new ideas or suggestions become stagnant, causing your business to become outdated.
Blockbuster was one of the largest companies in the world when they were offered to purchase Netflix. Instead, they turned it down as they did not want to upgrade what they already had. Now, majority of the kids born post 2015 will never know Blockbuster ever existed.
Don’t become a Blockbuster because of your employees. Any employee who isn’t open to new ideas or suggestions will eventually hurt your business.
2) When an employee gives up easily, doesn’t follow through on their commitments, or misses deadlines.
Can you trust someone who doesn’t follow through on their commitments or misses deadlines? Imagine you have a new client that requested a proposal by the end of the month. The employee tasked with completing that proposal ended up not completing it in time and sent it in a week late. How bad would that look for your company?
Any employee that CONSISTENTLY misses deadlines or doesn’t follow through on their commitments should not be on your team as they are a responsibility, not a reliability.
3) Employees who consistently blame others for problems and mistakes.
When an employee starts blaming others for their mistakes, trust is lost between you and that employee. Having an employee that consistently blames others will cause employee moral to go down if not dealt with quickly. Get a team of individuals who have each others backs.
4) Those who lose enthusiasm over time instead of gaining it.
The most difficult thing is to decide on moving on from an employee based on their enthusiasm and motivation. However, if an employee starts to lose enthusiasm and motivation over time, their productivity will also decrease.
If you see an employee start to lose their motivation, sit down with them and see how to get their enthusiasm back up. Sometimes it is best for both parties to part ways in the case they have no more enthusiasm at work.
5) Disrespectful or unruly behavior toward co-workers or management.
A great way to lose great employees is to have an environment at work that no one likes showing up to. You are a team. Those who are disrespectful to co-workers will cause overall happiness and productivity to decrease significantly.
6) When employees take excessive breaks or come in late without notifying you.
Time is money. Those employees that take excessive breaks or always show up late will hurt your company. There are 261 working days in a year. If the same employee consistently shows up 10 minutes late everyday, you will be losing out on 2610 paid minutes to that employee, or 43.5 hours yearly.
Also, an employee that consistently shows up late will influence others to start showing up later as well, causing a major problem for your business.
7) If the individual’s poor performance is having a negative impact on your company’s reputation or customer service.
Have you ever been to a restaurant that had terrible customer service? Have you been back since? Probably not. An employee that consistently has poor performances that negatively impacts your company’s reputation will hurt your chances of succeeding.
Final Thoughts
Whether you spend hours training an employee, or they have been there for years but just lost all enthusiasm for the job, letting an employee go is always a difficult decision. However, sometimes it is better to let someone go than have your business negatively effected for years to come.
Every situation is different. If an employee consistently has poor performances, then consider letting them go. We are all human and we can have bad days. It isn’t time to worry if an employee misses one deadline, but it may be concerning if they consistently do.
Our last tip is, if it would be a relief for you if your employee gives you their two-week notice, then it may be best for you to move on from them.
