> Regarding the first problem, 6 months should be enough to decide whether the new hire fits or not. Initially, possibly, but most contracts aren't fixed term.

> Regarding the first problem, 6 months should be enough to decide whether the new hire fits or not. Initially, possibly, but most contracts aren't fixed term. And I've seen way too many people that essentially do nothing, they know it, their manager knows it, but there's no way to get rid of them other than promoting them or waiting for them to retire. So they sit around and wait for retirement. It's like if your cell phone contract was a 10-year-contract. Very few people want that. > Employers complaining about "firing is so hard in Germany" is a little bit lazy if you ask me. Don't over hire to beginn with [...] They're just cutting one word out and follow that advise: Don't hire. Of course, it's not black and white, but if you get strong penalties (aka "I can't get rid of them") for over-hiring, you will make sure that you stay far below the over-hiring threshold.