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This guy is brilliant. He's got a number of similar excellent posts on a variety of business and tech related subjects. Straight, direct, clear and refreshing

This guy is brilliant. He's got a number of similar excellent posts on a variety of business and tech related subjects. Straight, direct, clear and refreshing communication. I recommend you go through the other posts at http://www.fonality.com/blog/ http://www.fonality.com/blog/

gaius 16y ago
He's wrong, tho'. The #1 reason that managers don't fire poor performers is that firing is a huge, huge pain at most companies. Everyone might "know" they're a chump, but HR will want proof in writing, over a period of time, and god help you if the person is any sort of minority. Which is why in most companies poor performers get "promoted" to where hopefully they can't do too much damage. If you're lucky, they can be contained to writing reports that no-one reads. If you're not and someone forgets why they were promoted, then they might actually end up in charge of something, and no-one wins. Except for the HR department. They always win.
- hkarthik 16y ago
  The corporate job where I'm at right now has this exact problem. HR has made termination require a LONG process that starts with a 6 month "performance initiative plan" before enough data can be collected to fire someone. And even then it requires a tremendous amount of executive level approval. We've had lots of incidents in the past where older employees would play the "I have a health issue" card to avoid being fired. Just to avoid getting sued, the company would capitulate and "promote or move" them away from the manager who didn't want them. Part of the problem is that as companies get bigger and their pockets get deeper, an entirely new class of employee enters which is low skill, highly cunning, and completely untrustworthy. Unfortunately, in my experience, most of these individuals always fit a certain profile: Middle Aged Men (50+) Low level of education Most of these people are hired for two reasons: 1) Need someone for grunt work (support/maintenance) 2) Need someone that will accept a very low salary Once a few incidents happen, HR and legal issues take over and begin the stranglehold on operational efficiency that infects large organizations.

gaius 16y ago

He's wrong, tho'. The #1 reason that managers don't fire poor performers is that firing is a huge, huge pain at most companies. Everyone might "know" they're a chump, but HR will want proof in writing, over a period of time, and god help you if the person is any sort of minority. Which is why in most companies poor performers get "promoted" to where hopefully they can't do too much damage. If you're lucky, they can be contained to writing reports that no-one reads. If you're not and someone forgets why they were promoted, then they might actually end up in charge of something, and no-one wins. Except for the HR department. They always win.

hkarthik 16y ago
The corporate job where I'm at right now has this exact problem. HR has made termination require a LONG process that starts with a 6 month "performance initiative plan" before enough data can be collected to fire someone. And even then it requires a tremendous amount of executive level approval. We've had lots of incidents in the past where older employees would play the "I have a health issue" card to avoid being fired. Just to avoid getting sued, the company would capitulate and "promote or move" them away from the manager who didn't want them. Part of the problem is that as companies get bigger and their pockets get deeper, an entirely new class of employee enters which is low skill, highly cunning, and completely untrustworthy. Unfortunately, in my experience, most of these individuals always fit a certain profile: Middle Aged Men (50+) Low level of education Most of these people are hired for two reasons: 1) Need someone for grunt work (support/maintenance) 2) Need someone that will accept a very low salary Once a few incidents happen, HR and legal issues take over and begin the stranglehold on operational efficiency that infects large organizations.