I inherited a worker who's not fit for the job.

Anonymous

November 17,2023 at 7:44AM UTC

Welcome to Fairygodboss!

We’re the largest online career community helping women achieve their career goals. Gain access to articles, jobs, events, and a supportive network of women and allies. Membership is free, always.

I inherited a worker who's not fit for the job.

I just started a role at a new company, leading a small team. The person with the supervisor title on the team is a satisfactory role player but does not have the judgment or critical thinking skills for the supervisor title they hold. My predecessor hired them and gave them the supervisor role and pay to lure them back when they left the company for more money. In reality, they don't supervise anyone. They are well thought of at the company because they are the only person in the company who does what they do, are diligent and will help anyone anytime, which is great. But when I ask even basic analytical questions beyond the operational ABCs of the work, I get nonsense answers or a blank stare. I know from experience what competencies I need to move the department forward, and this person does not have the humility or openness to feedback that would allow me to develop them. But I know "exposing" them might make me unpopular, especially as a newbie, in ways I can't afford. My plan is to hire more people who fit my needs and this person will either rise to the occasion or stand out in a bad way, and just let either scenario play out. Any other ideas on how to deal with this?

Why women love us:

Daily articles on career topics
Jobs at companies dedicated to hiring more women
Advice and support from an authentic community
Events that help you level up in your career
Free membership, always

12 comments

Share your insight

Join an authentic community that helps women support each other at work. Share your professional experience or ask for advice — you can even post anonymously.

12 Comments

Join the conversation

AnonymousNovember 17,2023 at 10:23PM UTC
To clarify, is this supervisor someone you directly manage? If so, then it's within your responsibility to have a candid chat with this employee about what they might need to succeed in the role. You can voice some concerns in a diplomatic way while asking what you can do to support them to be more proactive in their leadership capabilities. If they want to be a good leader to more junior team members, perhaps you could phrase it along the lines of helping this person hone their management skills. If they aren't under your direct supervision, then your tactic of hiring qualified people should make up for this person's lack. Perhaps you could offer overall suggestions for all supervisors, that can help everyone get up to speed + improve skills and point out pitfalls they'd need to avoid.
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 3:53PM UTC
Do this with caution. This person is well-connected. If there is any notion that the person even gets a hint that their skills or qualifications are being called into question, they will run to the OP's superiors. The better option would be to discuss the issue with management first. That would at least give the OP the idea of where those connections are.
AnonymousNovember 24,2023 at 5:43AM UTC
It's not time to run to management... The original poster said that she's only been there a few weeks...
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 2:35PM UTC
How long have you been there?
AnonymousNovember 22,2023 at 1:06PM UTC
Just a few weeks.
AnonymousNovember 24,2023 at 5:41AM UTC
You haven't been there long enough to fully understand all YOU need to know...and there are reasons For this coworker to be well perceived and well liked... Take a deep breath and sit back and observe for a while instead of trying to trail blaze and crush, everyone
AnonymousNovember 24,2023 at 7:14PM UTC
I agree that I don't know everything about the place. However, I can recognize when someone reporting to me has a skill set that is too narrow for their position. I'm not trying to "trailblaze" or "crush," but I was brought there to improve and clean up behind a predecessor who was shown the door for leading poorly. It doesn't take long to know that this person is a solid role player but not a leader, strategist, or planner, as one would expect from their position and pay. And I left out that my boss hinted as much when I first started - this person competed for my job but was never seriously considered.
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 3:47PM UTC
I think you have the right idea. As a new person, trying anything that could be seen as trying to push this person out could have serious consequences. I had one like that, and my problem was not only would they do anything anyone asked, but they were also well-connected in the organization. This person also had cognitive skills deficits that limited their critical thinking ability. All the rules were binary, or they confused them if they had to decide whether or not to relax. They were lost if the rule wasn't written down and followed to the letter. Focus on getting some good people in there, but make it clear that as the manager, you control and manage the group. For my person, they only had "authority" over custodial and logistics issues. The rest of the staff had to come to me regarding calling out, scheduling, time off, or other personnel or project-related things. Money decisions were also mine. The next time this person tried a "power-play" for more money and a better title by resigning, we accepted the resignation and showed them the door.
AnonymousNovember 19,2023 at 7:21PM UTC
Always be careful with a well connected person. In the end it’s always who you know not what you know.
Keep a folder to document. But ensure you fully understand their connections before acting. This will require patience on your part.
Tami CannizzaroNovember 21,2023 at 5:30PM UTC
Sticky situation. Agree with others to tread lightly as the newcomer until you get more information. I was hired on to take over a huge part of a business (50%) and did what I believed I was hired to do: run the business. I saw others who, at similar titles, were not capable of much. Took me quite a while before I understood all the hidden dynamics behind the hiring - most were the owners friends and acquaintances. Didn't matter if they were good at the jobs or not, or if they previous experience or any of the requirements in the job posting. None would be let go, for any reason. Keep your ears open and manage around this person for awhile. And it may take a year before you truly understand the situation.
AnonymousNovember 24,2023 at 7:21PM UTC
Thanks for this. I plan to manage around them, observe, and keep writing. I left out that my boss hinted early on that he had his own misgivings about the person, so I believe I will have cover to do what I need to do at the appropriate time if it comes to that.
Barb HansenDecember 1,2023 at 5:48PM UTC
I've been in this exact situation as a newly hired manager and here are the options that I found for an long-term employee who holds a job title that I don't think they have the skills to hold. I'm going to call this employee Chris just for clarity.
In my opinion, there are a number of options to move forward with leveling job titles and responsibilities for Chris (and perhaps others on the team)
--give Chris the tools they need for their job title
--transition Chris to a job title that better suited their role (while honoring their experience)
--keep Chris in their current job title with adjusted responsibilities.
To help me understand what option is best for the team, I would set regular one-on-ones with my team (including Chris) so I can learn what they think their job responsibilities are, what they are struggling with, what they enjoy and don't enjoy about their jobs, what they would change to make the team function better.
The outcome of these meetings would be a full understanding of everyone's competencies, their career goals and how they communicate. From there, I would meet with Chris if additional training was required. If I made the decision that adjustments are needed to Chris' and other team member's title or job role, I would discuss with my immediate manager to understand corporate culture and history so Chris' transition is smooth.