Why Successful Leaders Are Ditching "Hire Slowly, Fire Fast".

The "Hire Slowly, Fire Fast" approach has been around for decades echoed in books in the early 2000's and later on became a mantra among startups, VC-backed founder handbooks, and tech hiring playbooks. However, in recent years it's been increasingly questioned for its sustainability and cultural impact.

When looking at why modern leaders are ditching that philosophy, it's easy to understand.

1. 🕑 Slow Hiring Wastes Time, Loses Talent

• In fast-moving markets, great candidates don’t wait... they’re often off the market quickly and you're missing out.

• Overly slow hiring sends a message that you or your org lacks decisiveness or alignment, which can hurt employer brand and candidate confidence. The worst decision is indecision and dragging out the interview process is a form of this. (personal story) Earlier in my career, I once interviewed for a role over the course of 3 months and met with the CEO 5 times. Once a third conversation with the CEO was scheduled, I was expecting an offer...instead he wanted to rehash what was already discussed. I mentally checked out at the point and this happens with many candidates that go through long or unstructured interview processes.

• You risk losing top talent to faster-moving competitors who may not be perfect, but know how to coach and develop.

  
  

  Speed with structure often beats perfection that arrives too late or not at all.

  
  

2. 🚪 Firing Fast Undermines Learning, Loyalty & Development

• Most employees don’t underperform out of malice...they struggle because of unclear expectations, weak onboarding, or misaligned support.

• Firing too quickly treats people as disposable and dismisses the potential for growth and coaching.

• It can damage morale among the rest of the team, who may wonder, “Will I be next if I hit a rough patch?”

  
  

  Building a resilient culture means investing in people, not cycling through them.

  
  

3. ⚖️ It Ignores Accountability on the Company’s Side

• If a hire fails, it’s not just on the candidate...it’s on the hiring manager, the onboarding process, and leadership.

• Firing fast avoids hard internal questions: Did we set expectations? Did we coach them? Did we align on fit?

  
  

  “Fire fast” can be a lazy excuse for poor leadership hygiene.

  
  

4. 🧠 Complex Roles Require Time to Ramp

• Many high-value roles, especially in SaaS, technical sales, product, or executive positions, require a 90–180 day ramp to show meaningful impact.

• Firing before that time risks cutting loose a future high-performer who just needed context, support, or clearer goals.

  
  

  Great talent doesn’t always start fast... but they often finish strong.

  
  

5. 💔 It Hurts Culture and Employer Brand

• Employees talk. If your culture becomes known for being quick to fire, you’ll repel thoughtful, loyal, mission-driven talent.

• High-performing candidates want psychological safety and development, not a pressure cooker.

  
  

  You can’t build a long-term team on short-term fear.

  
  

🔄 A Better Approach:

Hire intentionally, onboard rigorously, coach consistently, and exit thoughtfully.

This creates an environment where people are set up to succeed, not tested to survive.