Comment by jlokier

> 5% above their requested pay with

Not enough to move the needle. 25% would move the needle.

> with mentions that I could double it in one year

They didn't believe you, or didn't after a short time working there. So it didn't move the needle.

More so if they're experienced. Similar mentions of prospects are common in interviews, and rarely followed through. You eventually learn to be skeptical of them, while rolling with it, just in case.

Also, if you might be willing to pay double their requested salary, they start realising their value on the open market is much higher than they'd previously thought, or could be with a little presentation and experience.

On the other hand, if you'd put it in the contract that their salary will double after 1 year, subject to well-defined criteria and a history of actually doing it with existing employees, then they'd believe you, and that would move the needle a lot.

From your story I speculate you were right to fire them, but you never figured our how to get the best out of them. In recent years it's possible you were subject to employment fraud, as clarity of analysis can disappear if it's a different person doing the work than the person answering interview questions.

Progress that's entirely stalled or negative can happen for many other reasons than moonlighting, and many other reasons than not putting enough time.