How to decline a team member's request to take on a task due to inadequate experience?

Question

I work as an IT auditor. I am currently working on an risk assessment for PCI and testing evidence to prepare for filing the annual compliance report. A team member who I mentored in the past has asked me whether he can be assigned one of the more difficult / technically complex items to work on. Although his skills has improved during the time I have been working with him, I still do not feel they are sufficient. PCI certification report will be externally facing, so the consequence of false assurance are high and very visible.

Professional guidelines on audit supervision - state I should ensure the people who perform an attestation function have the necessary skills to do the job reliably. I am glad he is taking initiative to help the team, so I do not want to discourage his efforts in the future. As he is diligent and hard working, perhaps next year his skills will have become sufficient for me to delegate this task to him.

How do I tell that I must decline his request to take on this task this time due to inadequate experience in accordance with professional guidelines?

Answer 1

Be straight with him. Explain that, although confident, in your opinion he's not quite ready for this one.

That said, will this employee be given another oportunity to prove themselves? If you refuse/decline/reject on this occasion, are they likely to look for work elsewhere, and will that cause you more problems? It might be a good idea, when telling them that they cannot take on this task, to tell them which task they will be given.

It sounds like this employee is keen, it would be a shame to lose them.

Answer 2

To be straight forward, Tell him that, this time its very much critical and explain that where do you need another members. Something like this... See X already worked on this kind of work previously. Based on the situation, having X in that situation is good for us.

And at this moment you cannot take any chance. And also tell him that "He is doing great. Next time you give him the opportunity."

Any good team member will understand the leads constraints. If he is not understanding you, even in future, he will create super-member problems. His response will be a good feedback of his conduct in tough situations.

Lead should not think too much on such kind of situations. He should do what is good for team/company.