ShE DiD ThE fi RiNg

Patti Lucas was a controller with two different Roanoke Valley companies and had to fire people. Here is her account:

I had two situations about 10 years apart where I had to fire fairly new hires (about three weeks in) because they misrepresented how skilled they were in a critical component of the job. I don’t think either was purposely being dishonest in the application process but sometimes applicants don’t know what they don’t know and the interview doesn’t reveal weaknesses. I felt bad both times because I knew [the people fired] thought that if given enough time and training they could do the job. Problem was I was experienced in the job and I knew what it took. They just didn’t have it and I didn’t have time to get them there. So, they didn’t understand and I had to accept that I wasn’t going to be able to convince them that it was necessary to move on.

The second example was frustrating on many levels and just plain stupid. We had to do a reduction in force (RIF). I was given the task to let go a woman who was very good at her job and well-liked by everyone, no performance issues at all. She didn’t work directly for me and wasn’t even in my department but her new boss (six-figure exec) had only been there two days. Yes, they were hiring execs while laying off the workers. I said, “Don’t you think you should find out what she does before you do that?” I was reminded that hard choices had to be made. She was very gracious about it. Three weeks later they had to bring her back as a contractor paying way more money to clean up the mess that happened once she was gone. She expected that would happen and enjoyed her three weeks off before starting her much fatter checks.”