"It's difficult for managers to accept that their talent is underperforming, Lockett said. She suggests asking: "Would you enthusiastically rehire this person for the same role?" Lockett always asked that question at Stripe, she said. "When the answer is no to that, no matter how many difficult conversations you have, this is not going to work," she said. The question is clarifying, she said, because it is a binary choice."
"Lockett's question is reminiscent of Netflix's famous "keeper test." It's evolved over the years, but it asks Netflix managers to consistently ask themselves: "If X wanted to leave, would I fight to keep them?" or, "Knowing everything I know today, would I hire X again?" If the answer is no, the employee is given "generous severance" and cut so that a stronger replacement could be found."
A single binary question—"Would you enthusiastically rehire this person for the same role?"—provides immediate clarity on employee fit and performance. An honest negative response signals that repeated feedback and difficult conversations are unlikely to resolve the mismatch. Acting on that clarity can prevent prolonged underperformance and support higher talent density. Similar approaches, such as Netflix's keeper test, encourage managers to evaluate whether they would fight to retain or rehire someone; a negative judgement often leads to severance and replacement to strengthen the team.
Read at Business Insider
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