Should you fire him after only 4 months?

“Craig has been such a disappointment,” you think to yourself, staring blankly into the air. He came in with such high hopes as your new head of sales. “Where did we go wrong?” You can´t figure it out. He came highly recommended. You interviewed him twice, along with the COO and head of HR, and he passed all tests with flying colors, but now, after just four months, you have a sneaky feeling that it will not work out.

“He says all the right things in meetings, but I am not seeing things being put into action. We made it clear to him that it would be a more hands-on position than in his previous job, where he led a larger team, but he doesn´t get it so far.” Maria, your COO, says when the two of you discuss the matter.

“His work ethic irritates me. He gets in 30 minutes later than most at 09.30 and leaves at 4.30 and is very reluctant to join meetings starting later than that,” you say in disbelief. “Have you told him that this is a problem?” Maria asks. You shake your head. “Maria, I have a really bad feeling about this, but he has only been here for 4 months. Maybe all he needs is a few more months to settle in?”

You are the CEO – what would you do?

Expert 1: Fire him now

Despite being informed that the role would require a more hands-on approach, Craig has not demonstrated the necessary leadership. Sales leadership positions require rapid adaptation and by four months, he should have taken concrete steps toward delivering results. His arrival in the morning and departure times are not aligned with the company’s culture, and for him not getting it is not a good sign. This lack of commitment and flexibility reflects poorly on his leadership, especially in a high-impact role like Head of Sales. His reluctance to attend meetings also shows poor teamwork and collaboration. While some may argue for more time, performance issues often worsen if left unchecked. Given these factors, it is advisable to terminate his employment. The company cannot afford to wait for changes that might never materialize.

Expert 2: Give him more time

Craig has only been in the role for 4 months, which is a relatively short period for adapting to a new organizational culture, especially in a leadership position. Harvard Business Review suggests that new executives often take 6-12 months to fully settle into their roles and start making a measurable impact. Firing him prematurely could result in losing a potentially valuable employee who hasn’t yet hit his stride. The case indicates that no direct feedback has been given to Craig about his work habits or his reluctance to join late meetings. It is crucial to offer clear, constructive feedback before making a termination decision. According to SHRM, 93% of employees say they would stay longer at a company if their leaders better-addressed issues through feedback. Without a proper feedback loop, Craig may not even realize the expectations he's failing to meet. The cost of replacing an executive can be as high as 200% of their salary, including recruitment, onboarding, and lost productivity during the transition. Giving Craig more time and clear expectations could save the company both time and resources. In conclusion, it would be more strategic to give Craig a chance to course-correct with direct feedback and support before resorting to termination.

My opinion

I would let him go. Whenever I have had a bad feeling, the mistake has always been to wait too long. The alternative would be for me to personally invest heavily to make Craig a success and that investment would probably be too high.