Staff management

Before You Give Up On an Employee, Ask Yourself These 8 Questions

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Last Updated: August 27, 2025

6 minute engagement

How do you feel when you’ve decided it’s about time to give up on an employee?

You know the employee — the kind who needs more attention than others. The kind who must be reminded to do something or how to do everything. The same employee who never seems to “get it.”

The problem is, and as it often goes, it’s the same employee who is a good person to have around. Someone everyone in the office likes.

Tough to Give Up on This Employee

That’s the kind of stuff that keeps finance leaders — and probably all leaders — up at night.

You’ve probably been on the fence many times for a long time, considering whether you really should let the employee go.

And, actually, there’s no easy answer.

But here are some questions that can help you decide if it’s the right decision. Here are eight that you absolutely want to ask yourself before you fire someone.

1. Does the Employee Know What He’s Supposed To Be Doing?

One of the worst assumptions managers tend to make is that a struggling employee actually knows what he or she is supposed to be doing. After all, the person was trained to do the job.

But lackluster training, poor communication, bad advice and changing work rules can vary, leaving employees adrift and unsure of their roles.

So, when setting — or resetting — job expectations, try this:

Make it clear to yourself. You can’t tell others what to do if you don’t really know what it is you want.
Find the gaps. What is the person not doing, or not doing enough of?
Know why. How does their job fit into the big picture? Why does it need to be done?

Once you have answered these for yourself, have the discussion with the employee. It’s not a conversation you have to have all at once. You can do it over time. Then, when you are comfortable, the employee knows what to do, have them write it down so they have a document to refer back to for guidance.

2. Does the Employee Actually Have the Right Skills?

Like a box of chocolates, with employees, you get what you get — a mix of skills, knowledge and talents.

A key distinction is that skills and knowledge can be taught, whereas talents can’t be taught.

Training — on the job, online or in a classroom — can greatly boost their level of knowledge. Helping them apply what they know to their jobs increases their skills.

If you know you’ve done all you can to boost their knowledge of the job and help them boost their skills, why are they so stuck?

You’ll likely find that the employee is as frustrated as you.

3. Is There a Motivation Problem that Can Be Fixed?

Motivating people is a skill.

Some leaders will naturally do it better than others. But every leader can — and should — try to do it.

Struggling employees often lack motivation — and that’s something you can help to fix.

Here are two ways to help people feel vital and to keep their heads in the game:

Take a genuine interest in the future path of the employee’s career. If you want to do wonders for an employee’s attitude and motivation, show them you care about where their career is headed.
Take a genuine interest in their work-life balance. When you can offer some schedule flexibility and be understanding about family commitments, doctor’s appointments and so on – these small gestures will make a huge motivational difference.

4. Was There a Problem With the Onboarding Process?

Good hires come ready to work, and it’s up to good companies not to let things get in the way of that.

A good onboarding process can help.

Be sure you have a program in place that focuses on the needs of new hires on the first day, the first week, the first 30 days, the first 90 days, and so on as needed.

Each time frame should have specific goals for the employee, with a clear path on how to attain those goals.

5. Are My Expectations Too High?

No boss wants to be seen as a pushover.

So what often happens is, to prove themselves, managers begin to expect more and more from their people, until they finally get to the point that they simply expect too much from everyone.

You can blame the times. Everyone is doing more with less, and so why shouldn’t expectations be high?

High expectations are fine. Too high expectations help no one.

If you are a boss who expects your people to come in early, stay late, and generally dedicate their lives and souls to the company, you aren’t alone.

But you are likely expecting way too much.

6. Am I Rewarding the Right Behaviors?

When a good employee falters, the No. 1 reason is almost always a lack of recognition and praise for a job well done.

Recognition is not just a nice thing to do, it’s a critical component in any successful management strategy.

Diligent leaders take advantage of even the smallest of employee accomplishments — and use those as opportunities to encourage the employee to do that again.

So, when people are struggling, leaders want to be sure they’re rewarding the right behaviors.

For instance, a company that is 100% committed to quality is creating trouble for itself when it incentivizes employees to meet sales or shipping quotas even when an unacceptable number of errors or defects is going out the door. Employees in that situation who are committed to quality will grow disillusioned.

7. Have I Been Too Hands-Off?

No one wants to be the boss who micromanages. But going to the opposite extreme and being too hands-off has its downsides, too.

For instance, a hands-off boss does a struggling employee no favors when the boss fails to step in to help diagnose the problem and improve performance.

Here’s another example: One of your team members has just completed an important project the wrong way. Why? Because he misunderstood the whys and wherefores, and you didn’t stay in touch with him as he was working on it. Now it’s all been done wrong, he’s on the verge of dismissal, and you’re faced with explaining this to a displeased client.

Ensure you see and do enough.