219: Did I make a bad hire? How do I know? What do I do? Artwork

Managing Made Simple

Managing Made Simple is a weekly leadership and management podcast for people managers, business owners, and founders who want to lead high-performing teams without falling back into the work themselves.

Each week, host Lia Garvin- 3x bestselling author and former team operations leader at Google, Apple, and Microsoft- breaks down the real, everyday challenges of leading teams, giving feedback, delegating, creating team accountability, high performing culture, retention, and more with performance with practical strategies you can implement immediately. Lia’s work has been featured in Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Fortune.

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If you’re asking leadership questions like:
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• Why do I have to repeat myself constantly as a manager?
• How do I know if I hired the wrong employee?
• How do I delegate effectively without things falling apart or micromanaging?
• How can managers tell if team members are overusing AI at work?
• What actually motivates employees today?
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Managing Made Simple:
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New episodes drop every Tuesday, delivering leadership lessons, people management tools, and team-building strategies you can apply immediately.

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Managing Made Simple

219: Did I make a bad hire? How do I know? What do I do?

February 10, 2026 • Lia Garvin • Episode 219

0:00 | 14:56

Hiring is exhausting, and nothing messes with your confidence faster than wondering, “Did I just make a really expensive mistake?”

In this episode, we take a clear-eyed, practical look at how to assess a new hire without panic, resentment, or dragging things out way too long. Plus we’ll talk about what to do when the answer isn’t obvious.

In this episode of Real Talk: Leading Small Teams, you’ll learn:

Why deciding someone “isn’t a fit” too fast or too late creates bigger problems
The role onboarding and missing expectations plays in hiring
The 30–60–90 day check-in framework that removes guesswork
Why most performance issues come down to feedback that was never given
The red flags that aren’t coachable and how to address them compassionately

If you’ve ever felt stuck between “I should give this more time” and “I should’ve acted months ago,” this episode will help you make the call with clarity and confidence.

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