To feel utterly ill equipped to deal with this situation at work?

[GobbleHobble]

I'm a middle manager working with a team of my own staff and my own contractors on a high value client project.

The contractor who is in the project manager role is a nice guy. I hired him a few Months ago, but he doesn't have enough drive or proactivity that you'd expect, a bit too nice for the job, but 20+ year CV was good and talked a good game so hasn't been an issue really - unfortunately our work now truly has started to ramp up and we are facing really tight deadlines that cannot move (literally, it's akin to say, a bridge needing to open or a hotel admitting its first guests or a wedding venue revamp). Unless there's a legal blocker, we MUST hit deadlines, reducing scope or quality if needed.

A senior client staff member, who hire6d my firm, has had a word with me (I'm not senior management but I know him so I think he felt most comfortable flagging this to me) to say he's not happy with our PM. He is "not on top of things", "Seems all over the place" and upon reporting this to my own mostly absent manager, I've been given the task of replacing him. I know how to get HR help for a staff member who's not performing (performance plans. Objectives. Out if not met. Ensure no discrimination etc) but literally never dealt with a contractor who's being replaced.

I can deal with hiring a replacement but no idea how it works normally for handovers, telling the poor guy. Etc. (What's worst here is Nice PM has no idea of what's coming, and I already know he's been struggling over lockdowns with an ill family member, which I've been (unusually) accomodating at working around, to significant cost to myself.)

I've asked for advice on how to do the transition but my manager basically said "don't care, get him replaced and gone". We can dismiss contractors without notice and they surrender laptops immediately etc. Although this would make my few weeks a painful time due to no handover.

If you were me, how would you do this? Tell him and get rid on the spot? Warn him, ask him to work 2 weeks notice? Bring in his replacement quietly as "support" then get rid of Nice PM after 2 weeks shadowing?

I realize my company has a fairly ruthless way of dealing with this if I seek HR input but I'm also aware we don't treat people as humans in many cases. I'm sure what the best strategy here at all, since it's easy for my manager to tell me to get rid when it's not him being the messager!

YABU - grow a backbone, contractors know they're expendable
YANBU - try a less harsh tactic to replacing Nice PM

So it will reflect poorly on me when he's gone.

I don't think so. Sometimes people don't work out, despite a good interview. It's not a reflection on the interviewers.

Is the senior client staff member in a position to tell you what to do? How do you personally assess the contractor's performance? Is it the problem? If underperforming why has it been allowed to get to that point?

Honestly, just be straight with him- whip it off like a plaster. Dragging it out just makes you feel shit for longer and he’s not going to feel less bad about losing his job.

I’ve had to bear the bearer of bad news for a number of contractors like this and a) they usually have a good idea that things haven’t been going well and b) they ALWAYS know that their position isn’t secure, and are a bit more resilient with these things than a PAYE staffer would be.

If it's reflecting badly on you because you hired him, then dragging out his exit won't help. Pull the plaster off as a pp said and make it quick. He can move on and so can you.

*It's gone too far, but Nice PM has had no opportunity to get warned (it's only in the last week our legal deadlines have been set, and they're more strict than anyone could have guessed, so pressure on without much ramp up).

Some posters asked about how he might feel, relieved etc - I genuinely think he's unaware and this will be a shock.*

So the work hasn't ramped up but the floodgates have opened immediately? No one could guess (not even you) and nice PM has been happily chugging along thinking he's doing a great job. Even though you thought he was a bit ineffectual you haven't told him? Now the pressure on it's all his fault and he has to go?

It doesn't look great when it's written down, does it? Do you think another contractor would have fared better? How are you going to avoid this happening again?

I contracted for years. I lasted because I knew my job inside out and I was as tough as old boots but it certainly wasn't easy. I saw plenty of contractors treated appallingly and then out on their ear at a moment's notice. Funnily enough, these are real people with feelings not bloody robots.

Most of the time contractors failed because expectations and communication wasn't clear. Companies would then have the same problem with the next contractor because they hadn't solved the root problem. God forbid that they might be doing something wrong themselves! No, they would rather 'get rid' or 'sack him' as that is far easier then they wonder why they have a high rate of turnover for contractors.

I’m also surprised you don’t know how to do this

You need a replacement in first. Then explain to the pm that you are ending his contract on x date and a replacement is being brought in due to the high volume of work required and a differing skill set being required. Then have him overlap and hand over. If he’s a nice guy he’s going to stay and do it, plus it’s basically giving him a notice period.

I think telling him as soon as possible is the best option. Dragging it out by bringing someone in disguised as support is not going to do anyone any favours.

Sit him down, explain that it's crunch time in terms of the project, the client is unhappy and unfortunately, he is being let go from the project.

In terms of you having appointed him,I don't think that reflects badly on you. People are not always what they seem at interview. Very different situation but I currently have a team member who seems to be able to very much talk the talk but can't walk the walk.

I do think though,in future, you need to keep an eye on performance and tell people if they are not performing to the required standards. That way, at least there is opportunity to put it right.

From a business perspective, the only real area you should be concerned with is ensuring the handover / documentation is optimal so the new contractor is able to hit the ground running. You must ensure the job parameters / requirements are explicitly outlined - do you need a technical department to do this or are you a ‘technical’ manager (not all are)?
If this is not done the new contractor will be be viewed as underperforming too.
This would not reflect well on either of you!!!
Obviously we don’t know your details, but it is often the case in niche employment / contractor areas of expertise that people/ recruiters do hear of one another and word gets around.

Be fair, be efficient, get it done.

Sadly being nice isn’t really a priority to your business and contractors do get paid accordingly.

Good luck.

If he really doesn't have a grip on things and you chop him immediately then remember that the incoming PM will be on a backfoot. They potentially have to sort out a mess, a project that is several weeks behind because it's been without a PM and a workload that has been ramping up. They will be in a worse position than the original PM.

I know because it's happened to me numerous times! You often spend the first few weeks trying to get your head around things because there isn't a handover and everything is in a mess.

The managers on here are telling you to get rid but as a contractor, I would say it's far better to be nice to number 1, phase him out and handover to number 2. After all, how long will it take to find and onboard number 2? You are assuming a good PM will be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for your call. Funnily enough, it is very unlikely that they will be available to start the next day.

Sadly being nice isn’t really a priority to your business and contractors do get paid accordingly.

Yes, you can be nice alongside proficient and professional. It's not hard. You don't have to be an arsehole just to get things done.

Is this guy actually the cause of the problems on the project, or just taking the blame because he isn't shouting at people about it enough?

Do you fully understand what is causing the delays, and are confident that a new person in the project management role will be able to fix it? If someone needs to reframe the scope or similar, then that's fine. However, if the deadline genuinely isn't achievable, replacing a PM you hired with a different PM who will face the same issues is only going to shift the blame to you, OP.

@Bluntness100

I’m also surprised you don’t know how to do this

You need a replacement in first. Then explain to the pm that you are ending his contract on x date and a replacement is being brought in due to the high volume of work required and a differing skill set being required. Then have him overlap and hand over. If he’s a nice guy he’s going to stay and do it, plus it’s basically giving him a notice period.

You are assuming a good PM will be sitting around twiddling their thumbs waiting for your call. Funnily enough, it is very unlikely that they will be available to start the next day.

This is a pertinent point.

I work in construction and there’s a huge skills shortage atm. You don’t mention your industry, but if it’s something similar I’d brace myself for not having a pick of top quality candidates to instantly replace him. It might be a case where it’s more sensible to actually address the issues that he has as opposed to starting over again with a new candidate who doesn’t know the company or project.

Would you have the budget for two PMs during the suggested handover period?

If this is just unavoidable, I do think you need to be honest with him and avoid dilly-dallying. Treat him with respect, don’t patronise him by making it about your feelings and how hard it is for you to do this etc. Just be straight with him, and make sure his exit from the project is as straightforward as possible.

Surely if he's a contractor you can just tell him he's not needed any longer. I used to contract and it's not unusual to be given very short notice of a contract ending.

In your shoes I'd start interviewing for a replacement and when you've found one, give your current contractor a weeks notice. Check all this with her first tho

It is business, not a charity or the local meet up group. However pleasant and nice the project manager is, end the contract now, just be polite and do it face to face if possible.

@newnortherner111

It is business, not a charity or the local meet up group. However pleasant and nice the project manager is, end the contract now, just be polite and do it face to face if possible.

Even more reason to keep him there and keep things ticking over while you find a replacement.

The Op wasn't even aware there was a problem until it was pointed out to her by the client so the PM can't be that bad.

Some of the comments on here remind me what I hate about business. I am pretty battle hardened but really hate this agressive North American approach to the workplace where it's survival of the fittest.

I'd be interested to know how many people advocating to chop him have had it done to them. No, probably not because they are so cock sure of themselves it wouldn't. However, this recently happened to an ex-boss of mine. 18 months later he is still looking for work. What goes around comes around so don't think you are bullet proof.

Hi, I’m an experienced manager. When your boss says, I don’t care, the message really is - you own this, you solve it. You can be pleasant without being soft and floppy on this.

But you also have a duty not to screw the project up even worse, so you should rapidly scope how easy it will be to find another contractor who could land quickly. You should also warn your manager if the short notice for recruitment might make it difficult to get a good-value replacement. Do you have a sense of the price and availability of alternative contractors already?

If you are confident you can hire within a week, then sack your PM immediately, explain that the client isn’t satisfied with progress and as it is so important you and the senior management have decided together that you need a different PM for this particular project.

Alternatively if the hiring situation looks difficult: You have described the PM as being nice, so do you think he would agree to continue until a replacement lands? Otherwise how will you bridge the gap between him leaving and the new hire being briefed on the project? The discontinuity needs to be managed so I’d be making a plan to clear my own deck to help get the project back on track.

Lastly: this only reflects badly on you if you fail to get the project back on track. On the contrary you can come out if this smelling of roses if you act swiftly, decisively and proactively step in to ensure the client is content and the new PM is well-briefed and well-managed.

As cold as it sounds the facts are this- the best interests of the company come over and above contractors feelings. And its in the best interests of the company to do what manager has instructed-get him replaced and gone. How it's done is of no interest to anyone but you and PM so if you value your reputation, take all feeling out of it and keep the end goal as your focus, not how you get there. You can be nice about it but really, this is no time for sentiment here OP.

@VeganCow

As cold as it sounds the facts are this- the best interests of the company come over and above contractors feelings. And its in the best interests of the company to do what manager has instructed-get him replaced and gone. How it's done is of no interest to anyone but you and PM so if you value your reputation, take all feeling out of it and keep the end goal as your focus, not how you get there. You can be nice about it but really, this is no time for sentiment here OP.

Yes, maybe you should get your finger out and give him the chop otherwise you could be next.

Clearly time is money and all that....

I'd give him a weeks notice tops and ask him for a handover meeting or notes.

I can't help, I'm afraid.
But I would like to say that you do sound thoughtful and aware of people's feelings. That can be rare in the world of work.
I hope you find a way forward.

It reflects poorly on you that you had noted performance issues but failed to communicate them to the person concerned. That's poor management.

I'd be interested to know how many people advocating to chop him have had it done to them

Me.
I was a contractor for quite a while and often finished up contracts sooner than expected for a variety of reasons (project pulled unexpectedly, budget issues, replaced by a cheaper resource, someone else coming back to the project earlier than expected etc).

To mitigate this, I wrote a one week handover/notice period into my contract for services.

That’s the life of a contractor. The OP doesn’t say what industry she’s in but a decent PM in a discipline like IT or civil engineering can easily command £800+ per day and one of the reasons for this premium is the uncertainty of contract length.

I manage teams of employees and contractors. I also have employees at mid-management level who manage teams of contractors. I currently have one contractor who is costing over £1,500 per day, plus VAT. Every hour that he’s being ineffective is a gigantic cost to the company and, ultimately, if I allowed him to sit around and not do what he’s paid to do, upsetting clients in the process, it’s my colleagues and employees who would suffer.
(Luckily he’s great and no issues, but that’s why he can command the big bucks).

So yes, nobody is suggesting the OP shouts abuse and marches him out the door, but it’s possible to have a difficult conversation with someone, end a contract under the agreed terms, but still act professionally, and with respect and empathy.

Were there any other decent candidates when you interviewed? Could you contact them to hear if they are still available or interested.