That "Hire Slow, Fire Fast" advice cost me a big client last quarter

Last March I finally hired a sales guy after months of looking. He seemed great in the interview, came recommended, but after 3 weeks I noticed he was promising features we just didn't have. I kept thinking I'd coach him up, give it more time. By June he had upset a major account that was worth about $40k a year. I should have listened to my gut and let him go after the first red flag. Anybody else find that "slow to hire" thing backfires in a small B2B shop?

3 comments

3 Comments

shanel1315d ago

Hold up though, "slow to hire" isn't really the issue here. The problem was you ignored red flags once he was in the door, which is more about holding on too long than hiring slowly. Taking your time to find the right person is still good advice, it just doesn't work if you're not willing to act fast when they show they're not that person.

kelly_hill15d ago

Flip it around - maybe fast hiring would have helped you cut bait before that client got burned.

brooke7115d ago

That shanel13 point about holding on too long is the real killer, most people are afraid to admit they made a bad hire and just hope it works out. Taking your time on the front end only helps if you're equally quick to cut someone loose when they don't fit.