That is a good question.  I have struggled with that in the past also.  I tend to keep them around too long after I "know" that they aren't going to get it.  However, until I am confident they don't search on their own.

I don't think it is fair, nor does it make sense to waste all the resources spent training, to adopt a strict policy of terminating employees if they make "X" amount of mistakes in a given period.  I have been known to be pretty hard on examiners that miss things because they have to understand the liability involved.  If you are too easy on them, they never understand the gravity of the situation.  I had one examiner that left crying and NEVER came back.  However, I am fair and I don't fire them for missing something. Instead, I make them go back and re-do it and then come back and explain to me how they missed it.

It is more important to know "why" it was missed.  If they overlooked it because they focused on the wrong thing, they usually don't make that mistake again.  If they just don't have the capacity for the attention to detail required for the job, then they have to be let go.

Some people just don't "get it"... and probably are not capable.  It is sometimes hard to tell in the beginning, and it takes some people longer to really understand how important it is.  I usually wait until I am confident that additional training isn't going to cure the problem.  Then, I have to let them go.

If they care enough about the job and they understand the potential liability, they will be more upset than I am when they miss something and I don't have to be so tough on them.  That is when I know I have a good examiner.

Tough position to be in.  Best of luck.

Robert A. Franco
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