Mumbai entrepreneur claims letting go of underperformers helped boost staff retention, details 6 changes

The post triggered a wave of reactions on LinkedIn, ranging from applause to criticism.

Mumbai-based founder Vedika Bhaia has drawn considerable attention on LinkedIn after she claimed her company’s employee retention rate improved only after she made the difficult decision to terminate three underperformers in a single month. In a detailed post on the professional networking platform, Bhaia explained that despite offering competitive salaries, flexible hours and standard workplace perks, her agency was grappling with alarmingly high levels of attrition—until she recognised the root of the issue lay not in those who left, but in those who stayed.

“We fired 3 people in one month, and our retention actually improved,” she wrote. “Sounds backwards, but let me explain. Last year, our agency was losing talent at an alarming rate. People quit every month, and I couldn’t figure out why. We had good salaries, flexible hours, and all the usual perks. But retention was still terrible. Then I realised the problem wasn’t the people leaving. It was the people we kept. So we let 3 underperformers go in the same month.”

Following the firings, Bhaia said she introduced several key changes that she believed contributed to a significant turnaround in workplace culture. These included reintroducing an in-person office, offering proactive salary raises, treating employees to surprise perks, publicly recognising achievements, and enforcing clear performance standards.

One of the first changes was establishing a physical office. “Working remotely sounds great, but we lost all the fun energy,” she wrote. “Now, when someone cracks a joke or celebrates a win, everyone’s there to share it.”

Another adjustment involved recognising and rewarding high-performing team members before they even asked for it. “When we see someone crushing it, we give them a raise before they even ask. Word gets around about companies that value great people,” she explained.

Small gestures also made a difference, she noted. “Ice cream on Tuesday. Lunch on Friday. No reason needed. Small gestures make people feel cared for.”

Public appreciation was another key shift. “When someone does something amazing, I make sure the whole team knows. Recognition in front of team members hits differently than a private thank you.”

Bhaia also adopted a firm stance on underperformance. “We give people 1–2 warnings max. Keeping low performers around kills everyone else’s motivation,” she said.

She emphasised that she now hires for passion above all else. “They could be passionate about anything. Could have a side hustle for all I care—as long as I see passion and hard work, that’s a win for me.”

The post triggered a wave of reactions on LinkedIn, ranging from applause to criticism. Several users praised Bhaia’s transparency and focus on maintaining a strong workplace culture, arguing that removing poor performers often boosts morale and overall output.

“Love this level of honesty. Sometimes retention improves not by adding perks but by protecting the culture. Clarity, appreciation, and high standards go a long way,” one commenter wrote.

Another added, “This is truly a good one. Underperformers anyways end up wasting team’s energy & efforts on things.”

A third user stated, “The fastest way to lose your best people is to tolerate the wrong ones. High performers don’t just want perks—they want to be surrounded by others who care, deliver, and grow. And when they see low standards go unaddressed, they quietly start looking elsewhere. Especially for global teams and early-stage professionals, the difference between staying and leaving is often just this: ‘Do I feel like I’m becoming someone better here?’”

Another perspective highlighted the importance of workplace environment: “It’s interesting how the same people can perform so differently when the environment shifts—physical energy, quick feedback, small treats. Makes you think it’s not always about the big retention strategies.”