The Productologist

In a post I wrote back in March [Hiring for Success], I discussed the importance of finding and hiring great Product Managers. But in the same way that great workers can be a boon to your organization, poor performers can drag you down. Not only do they create more work for others on the team, but they can poison the atmosphere and cause other members to become frustrated or leave.

“When they (managers) finally decide to get rid of the under-performing slob who plays PC solitaire all day in her cubicle, it can be surprisingly tough to do. And that, in turn, affects productive workers. Few things demotivate an organization faster than tolerating and retaining low performers,” says Grant Freeland, a regional leader in Boston Consulting Group’s organization practice.

My company is hiring. Maybe yours is, too. Or at least trying to. If you work in the Silicon Valley, then you are probably aware of how difficult it is to find quality staff for just about any position–Dev, QA, Product Management, Marketing, you name it.

If you aren’t familiar with the challenges of hiring in Silicon Valley, it’s a lot like buying a used car. There are plenty to choose from, but finding one that has all of the features that you want, in the color you like, with low miles, well, that’s where it gets tricky.