I started writing software in 1984. Over the years I worked with many languages, technologies, and tools. I have been in leadership positions since the early 2000s, and in executive roles since 2014.
It depends. If they were never strong performers, then I have to let them go. If somebody is consistently underperforming and there doesn't seem to be a path to success, they should find a place where they can be more successful. Allowing mediocrity to linger is a poison for the company and the team.
Otherwise, I start a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). That is an official, written and well-documented period of time (usually 3 months) in which they have to meet weekly goals and send a weekly report on how they are doing on those goals. During that period it is made clear that if they can't make their goals for X weeks in a row (usually X=2 or 3) then they will be terminated. A PIP is also accompanied with consistent feedback and coaching, both written and oral.
There are 3 things that can happen:
1) The employee understands how serious the problem is, and they do their best to satisfy the PIP requirements. If they succeed, the PIP ends and the employee can stay on board. If they fall back into bad habits, there is no a second PIP.
2) The employee doesn't take it seriously, and nothing changes OR things change for a while, and then they go back to bad. At that point, they are let go exactly as agreed in the terms of the PIP.
3) The employee doesn't accept the PIP, and they are let go immediately. I have never seen this happen.
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It depends. If they were never strong performers, then I have to let them go. If somebody is consistently underperforming and there doesn't seem to be a path to success, they should find a place where they can be more successful. Allowing mediocrity to linger is a poison for the company and the team.
Otherwise, I start a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan). That is an official, written and well-documented period of time (usually 3 months) in which they have to meet weekly goals and send a weekly report on how they are doing on those goals. During that period it is made clear that if they can't make their goals for X weeks in a row (usually X=2 or 3) then they will be terminated. A PIP is also accompanied with consistent feedback and coaching, both written and oral.
There are 3 things that can happen:
1) The employee understands how serious the problem is, and they do their best to satisfy the PIP requirements. If they succeed, the PIP ends and the employee can stay on board. If they fall back into bad habits, there is no a second PIP.
2) The employee doesn't take it seriously, and nothing changes OR things change for a while, and then they go back to bad. At that point, they are let go exactly as agreed in the terms of the PIP.
3) The employee doesn't accept the PIP, and they are let go immediately. I have never seen this happen.