How to manage an underperforming HR manager

The HR manager is the person responsible for the people systems in your company. When they're underperforming, the impact cascades — compliance gaps, poor hiring decisions, team dissatisfaction, and operational HR failures that the founder ends up resolving personally. Managing this situation requires clarity and directness.

Define the performance problem specifically before addressing it. 'The HR team isn't great' is a feeling. 'PF filings were late for 3 consecutive months, the last 2 hires for the sales role were wrong and left within 90 days, and the last POSH training was 14 months ago without a new one scheduled' is a performance problem you can discuss, measure, and address.

Separate capability issues from motivation issues. A capable HR manager who is disengaged and not applying their skills is a motivation and management issue — often solvable. An HR manager who is genuinely not capable of what the role requires is a capability issue — less easily solvable. The interventions are different.

Provide structured support before managing out: define specific performance expectations with deadlines (the PF filings will be current within 30 days, the hiring process for open roles will be redesigned within 60 days, POSH training will be scheduled and delivered within 45 days), provide the resources and support needed to achieve these, and review progress formally at defined intervals.

If performance doesn't improve: follow the standard performance management and disciplinary process — formal performance improvement plan, defined review period, clear consequence if targets aren't met, and documented throughout. An HR manager who is managed out without documented process creates the irony of an HR legal claim.

The replacement plan: when an HR manager is not working out, the replacement is as important as the exit. Define what the role actually needs — is it compliance depth, HR strategy capability, talent acquisition strength, or people management skill? The replacement brief should be informed by what was missing, not just by what was there before.

CONTRACTOR VS EMPLOYEE (CONTINUED)