How to Actually “Hire Slow, Fire Fast” for Business Success

You’ve likely heard the phrase “hire slow, fire fast”. While the principle behind this saying is sound — ensure you bring in the right people and make swift decisions when things don’t work out — putting it into practice isn’t quite as simple.

Let’s make this catchy saying actionable so you can build a team that is committed to your company’s values, culture, and goals.

“Hire Slow”: Build the Right Foundation

Hiring is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as a business owner. Getting it right from the start means creating a strong team that will drive your business forward. Here’s how to do it effectively:

Do’s:

Develop a Consistent Hiring System: Create a structured hiring process that works for your specific business needs. Your business size and stage, in addition to your values, mission, and vision impact your hiring process. No matter your size, each candidate should be evaluated with the same criteria, this helps you evaluate the candidates fairly and helps remove biases.
Involve the Right People: Make sure that the people involved in the hiring process understand your business and are capable of assessing candidates in alignment with your company values. This often includes managers, team leads, or anyone who will be working closely with the new hire.
Clarify Your Business Needs, Values, and Culture: Before you even start looking at resumes, ensure you have a deep understanding of your business needs. What skills do you need? What kind of person fits your company culture? Being clear about what you’re looking for will help you narrow down your search and avoid hiring out of desperation.

Ready to start hiring? Get access to the People Partnerships Hiring Playbook for free!

Don’ts:

Be Inconsistent: Avoid making the mistake of changing up your interview questions or hiring steps halfway through the process. This can lead to unfair evaluations and inconsistent hiring practices. Stick to your system to ensure you’re making decisions based on facts, not feelings.
Delay When You Find the Right Person: Once you find the right candidate, don’t hesitate – you don’t need to wait a week to call them. Still continue with your process, but if you meet a great candidate, don’t wait on taking action. Talent is often in high demand, and the best candidates may not stay on the market for long. Trust your gut and make the offer when you’ve found someone who ticks all the boxes, and you’ve ticked all your boxes in the hiring process.
Hire for the Sake of Filling the Role: Avoid the temptation to hire someone just to fill an immediate gap, even if they’re only “good enough.” A mediocre hire can often cost you more in the long run — lower morale, disengagement, and a culture mismatch. Take your time and wait for the right fit.
Add Unnecessary Steps: While it’s essential to have a structured process, don’t overcomplicate things. Adding unnecessary steps or excessive rounds of interviews can create delays and frustration. Keep the process efficient and focused on what matters.

“Fire Fast”: Handling Difficult Decisions with Care

No one likes the idea of firing someone, but sometimes it’s necessary in order to preserve the health of your team and business. The key to handling terminations properly is to do so with respect and clarity. Here’s how you can implement the “fire fast” principle in a way that’s fair and empathetic:

Do’s:

Ensure Proper Training: Before making any termination decision, make sure the employee has had access to the proper training and resources to succeed in their role. If they’ve been set up for success and still aren’t performing, that’s a sign it’s time to act.
Give Regular, Constructive Feedback: Don’t wait until a formal performance review to address issues. Providing ongoing feedback allows employees to understand where they aren’t meeting expectations and gives them an opportunity to improve. If you’re considering termination, make sure you’ve already communicated expectations clearly.
Be Clear & Respectful in Your Termination Conversation: If you’ve made the decision to part ways with an employee, be clear, concise, and respectful during the termination conversation. Avoid being vague or defensive. This is a difficult moment, and how you handle it can impact your reputation and the remaining team morale.

Don’ts:

Fire Without Giving Feedback: If you haven’t provided clear feedback and support to an employee about their performance, you risk creating confusion and resentment. Make sure you’ve communicated expectations and given them a chance to improve before making the decision to terminate.
Expect Instant Change Without Communication: If your team isn’t meeting your expectations, don’t assume things will change without clear communication. Setting clear expectations from the outset, and providing regular feedback is critical to creating an environment where improvement is possible.
Make Decisions Based on One Voice or Emotional Reactions: Firing decisions shouldn’t be influenced by emotions or the opinions of just one person. Gather input from relevant team members and ensure you’re acting in the best interest of the company, not just reacting to personal feelings.
Drag Out the Decision Once It’s Made: Once you’ve made the decision to terminate someone, don’t delay the process. Dragging it out creates unnecessary tension for both the individual and the rest of the team. Make the decision, communicate it clearly, and move forward.

Bringing It All Together: Finding Balance

To successfully “hire slow, fire fast,” you need a balance between patience and decisiveness. Hiring takes time and thoughtfulness to ensure you’re bringing the right people into your company, and firing should be a well-considered decision that comes only after you’ve exhausted other options. Ultimately, this approach helps you build a strong team that aligns with your business values and creates the foundation for long-term success.

Ready to start hiring? Get access to the People Partnerships Hiring Playbook for free!

As a Fractional HR Consultant, I can help you create a hiring and termination process that works for your business, ensuring you bring in the right talent and manage your team in a way that promotes success. Click here to learn more about how I can help you implement these strategies effectively in your business!