[vhodges]

It wasn't performance exactly, but lack of skill. They had billed themselves as senior (and were being paid as such).

They were my first hire and made a number of mistakes:

  - I was too nice/eager (one of interviewers said 'no, they can't code' and I should have listened to them).  
  - They passed (with the one caveat) our not very rigorous screening process, this is on me as well. 
  - I did not do a formal review at the end of their probation period (it was becoming obvious they were not skilled, but I dismissed it as coming up to speed with our systems).

The pip was intended to show me they were capable of being in the role, but they cheated and I can't abide that.

Before the pip, I would have probably kept them but with a pay cut, but prevailing wisdom was that it would not work in practice.