In many organizations, letting someone go is experienced as an inevitable tragedy. A poor fit, low productivity, the wrong attitude, or simply “not what we expected.” But in most cases, that outcome isn’t random or the result of bad luck — it’s the direct consequence of a bad hire.
When someone doesn’t fit their role — whether due to technical gaps, lack of attitude or emotional intelligence (those infamous soft skills), or simply because they don’t understand the company’s culture — the real mistake usually happened earlier. In a recruitment process that wasn’t rigorous, or focused on the wrong things, or was led by someone who lacked the criteria or experience to handle it properly. That’s where we need to focus.
Not everyone knows how to hire
Hiring isn’t just a checklist of résumés, quick interviews, and a final green light from HR. Yes, budget and approval are necessary — but they’re not enough. It’s about knowing what you’re truly looking for, understanding the context of the role, evaluating thoroughly, spotting both positive and warning signs, and seeing beyond the obvious.
Not everyone can do that. What many people can do, however, is delegate the process on autopilot, copy-paste hiring formulas, be swayed by first impressions, or hire people who look like them. Then, when it doesn’t work out, the blame always falls on the new hire (which also makes it easier to attribute future problems to them, even after they’ve left).
But the damage was already done before their first day. It was in the vague job description, the poorly prepared interview — and often, the even worse execution. Once they’re in, the gap between expectations and the candidate’s actual potential creates a distorted scenario, even making it hard to define what success should look like (what exactly are we using to say, “they weren’t the right person”?).
By that point, things are already going downhill — and it’s hard to recover.
“It’s quite contradictory that sometimes it’s the candidate who has to bring clarity and walk away — an honest, voluntary withdrawal — after detecting all the misalignments in the recruitment process. Starting with the definition of the role: not just what’s expected, but also the critical success factors needed to truly fit into the organization, both culturally and structurally.”
Bad hires: when repeated mistakes reveal incompetence
When bad hires happen over and over, the person who should be seriously questioned — or even replaced — is the one doing the hiring.
At certain levels, especially middle management and C-level, hiring well isn’t a nice-to-have: it’s a core part of the job. At some point, leaders aren’t paid just for what they do themselves, but for what they enable others to do (something I partly explained in this model I developed).
I once witnessed a professional situation up close where a senior executive — with full autonomy — repeatedly hired people for key roles only to fire them a few months later. A senseless pattern, much like the traits of alcohol-free beer:
- no proper role definition
- no real integration time
- no development plan
- and no ownership of the decision
A downward spiral that only led to internal distrust, stalled strategic projects, and a permanent sense of instability.
“A failed recruitment process can happen — and must be handled with professionalism, rigor, and honesty toward the new hire. But when the mistake repeats itself, it stops being a simple inefficiency and becomes proof of functional incompetence.”
Often, the person making the mistake isn’t fully aware of its impact: cascading drops in performance, talent attrition, loss of team trust, delays in critical objectives… all because of a lack of time, judgment, or humility to hire properly — or to ask for help when the skills aren’t there.
Hiring well is a critical skill
Like any skill, it can be trained and refined — especially by learning from mistakes. But that first requires acknowledging that not everyone is equipped to lead a hiring process. Some technically brilliant managers simply don’t know how to read people. And that’s okay — as long as they recognize it and ask for support.
On the other hand, if we’ve never done something before, it’s unlikely we’ll get it right on the first try. Hiring talent isn’t instinctive or obvious, and anyone who thinks they can wing a good hire without prior experience is being reckless. “The world belongs to the brave”—sure, but not to the reckless.
The first time we hire someone, it’s far more common for our biases and projections to carry more weight than a genuine assessment of fit or potential. If it turns out well, it’s usually luck rather than method. And relying on luck for something as strategic as building a team is plain foolish.
The real cost of a bad hire isn’t just the wasted salary or severance — it’s the damage done to trust in your organization’s decision-making process.
Professionalizing recruiting
Yes, please. And that implies:
- Define before you search: take the time to understand what’s really needed, beyond just a job title.
- Let the right person lead: not everyone is qualified to hire. Give that responsibility to someone with the right judgment and experience.
- Structured interviews: deep, focused, and aligned with both technical and human expectations.
- Think long-term: urgent hires often backfire. Prioritize fit and potential over speed.
- Support after the “yes”: a good onboarding doesn’t end with the signed offer. You need to track, support, and adjust if needed.
Letting someone go should always be the last resort. It’s a difficult moment for both sides: clearly for the person leaving, but also for the organization — which is emotionally strained when these situations become chronic. Hiring well from the start is often the best antidote to avoid that human and organizational cost.
