Screening on core values: the people you should (not) say goodbye to

This is the part most founders look away from. Not because they do not see it, but because it hurts.

Every founder knows them: the colleague who has been there for years, who works hard, who is loyal, but who somehow no longer fits where the company is growing. Or the top performer who hits the numbers but constantly drains the team. Or the pleasant colleague who always picks things up but never really takes ownership.

Screening on core values means having these conversations. Consciously, with structure and empathy — but having them.

The core-values-and-performance quadrant

There is a simple framework I use in every growth program. Two axes: does someone perform in their role (yes/no), and does someone fit the core values (yes/no). That gives four quadrants.

High performance + fits core values. Your stars. Invest in them. Give them space, growth, responsibility. These are the people who will carry your business when you are not there.

High performance + does not fit core values. The most dangerous category. Their numbers are an excuse not to intervene. But every day they stay, they undermine the culture you are trying to build. The whole team is watching. And the whole team draws the conclusion: apparently core values do not count when the numbers are good. These are the most painful farewells, and often the most necessary ones.

Low performance + fits core values. Give them time. Give them coaching. Give them clarity on what needs to change. Someone who fits culturally can often be helped to grow into the role, or moved to a role that fits better. This is where leadership proves itself.

Low performance + does not fit core values. Here it is simple. And yet this is what gets postponed the longest, because founders avoid conflict. Be honest, be quick, be human. For everyone, including the person themselves, this is the best outcome.

The mistake most founders make

The mistake is not in the screening itself, but in waiting too long.

I have done it myself. At Glasnost we kept colleagues for too long while I knew it no longer fit, but kept thinking: maybe it will resolve itself. It never does. It only gets worse — for you, for the team and ultimately for the person too.

What I have learned: the sooner you have the conversation, the cleaner it goes. The longer you wait, the more comes onto the table. And the bigger the chance it ends in conflict instead of an honest goodbye.

How to have the conversation

No detours. Be direct. Give concrete examples of what does not fit and why. Avoid vague terms like "the click is not there"; no one can do anything with that. Name the behaviour, name the core value and be clear about the consequence.

And give space. For reaction, for emotion, for disagreement. A good farewell conversation lasts longer than you think. But when it goes well, people walk out with their head held high. And that is exactly how it should be.

What you hold back from the team

Nothing. That is the short answer.

When someone disappears from the team, the rest knows exactly why. People feel these things. And if you do not explain it, they fill it in themselves — usually worse than the reality. So be transparent: this person is leaving, this is the reason, this is what it says about how we view core values.

That does three things at once. It confirms that core values are taken seriously. It makes clear where the line is. And it shows you are consistent, even when it is uncomfortable.

Screening is not a punishment. It is how you build a culture where the right people want to stay longer, and where the wrong people drop out before it hurts. And it preserves the people who matter most: the colleagues who build a company with you that is bigger than the two of you.