Government would work better if federal civil service bosses would fire — or at least provide more effective guidance to — employees performing poorly during their first (probationary) year on the job.

Federal managers have too little incentive to fire employees doing substandard work after their yearlong probationary period because of the lengthy and expensive bureaucratic termination process, according to the Government Accountability Office. That means supervisors in federal departments and agencies must make better use of available tools to improve or dismiss poor performers before their probation year ends.