Part 13 of 20 in How to Hire A Players: A Guide for Indian Founders← Part 12Part 14 →
This chapter discusses the importance of timely firing decisions for Indian founders and how to minimize the need for them. It highlights common hiring mistakes that lead to difficult exits and provides guidance on handling terminations professionally.
- Delayed firing often results from hiring mistakes and leads to team relief, not shock.
- Common hiring errors include desperation, overselling roles, and ignoring weak references.
- Use a scorecard to objectively assess performance and make timely decisions.
- Seek legal counsel for proper termination processes to avoid future issues.
- Conduct a written review of hiring failures to prevent repeating mistakes.
Every founder I respect has a firing they delayed too long. They remember the date they finally acted, and they remember that the team’s reaction was relief, not shock. The shock was only in the founder’s head.
This chapter is not a celebration of exits. It is an argument that most ugly exits are the last chapter of a sloppy hire.
The angst is predictable
You hired in desperation. You oversold the role to the candidate and to yourself. You ignored a thin reference. You watched the first ninety days miss the scorecard and called it “ramp”. You began doing their job at night. You avoided the conversation because they left a “stable job for us”, because they have a child in a new school, because your father asked you to be kind, because you do not like being the villain in a small team.
Meanwhile the A Players are updating resumes. They always see the problem before you admit it.
Use the scorecard as the adult in the room
If you wrote real outcomes, the performance conversation is not a character assassination. It is a review of a page you both signed up to. At sixty days you should already know. At ninety days you should decide. Coaching is for a person who is close and learning. Hope is for a person who is far and charming.
Do it cleanly, and do it with counsel
Speak to a labour lawyer who works in your state before you improvise. Notice, full and final, relieving letter, handover, access revocation, and a written record of prior feedback are not cruelty. They are how you avoid a second year of pain in a labour office. Do not debate the person into agreement. Do not fire by WhatsApp. Do not vent to the rest of the team about the person’s character. Describe the role, the miss, and the decision.
Kindness is severance you can afford, a truthful but non-vindictive reference policy, and speed. Dragging a decision for six extra months is not kindness. It is how you burn their market value and your culture at the same time.
After they leave
Do a written autopsy. Which pillar failed? Bad scorecard? Thin sourcing? A Who interview that became a pitch? A skipped reference? A sell that overpromised freedom? If you do not write this down, you will hire the same person again with a different name.
Frequently asked questions
Why do founders delay firing decisions?
Founders often delay firing due to personal reasons, such as empathy for the employee's situation or reluctance to be seen as the villain.
How can a scorecard help in the firing process?
A scorecard provides objective criteria to assess performance, making it easier to have constructive performance conversations and make timely decisions.
What legal steps should be taken when firing an employee?
Consult a labor lawyer, ensure proper notice, issue a relieving letter, revoke access, and maintain a written record of feedback to avoid legal issues.
How can founders prevent hiring mistakes?
Conduct a written autopsy of hiring failures to identify and learn from mistakes such as poor scorecards, inadequate sourcing, and overpromising roles.