No matter how fantastic their hiring track record may be, there will come a time for most employers when they’ll need to fire a member of their team. It’s not the cheeriest topic, but one managers and HR professionals need to be well-acquainted with if they want to be successful leaders.
We looked to three expert managers for advice on how to best dismiss an employee from their role when they’re no longer the best fit for it.
Before the Decision is Final
Have you given the employee all the support they need? Were they aware of the issues the company was having with them and were they given tools or resources to rectify the problem?
HR expert Susan M. Heathfield, in an article for The Balance, suggests providing progressively more intense feedback to ensure the employee is well-aware they’re failing before they’re shown the door. Make sure that the communication is going both ways, and that you’re keeping a record as a legal safeguard. Ultimately, it’s up to the
employee to take the advice to heart, Heathfield says, and to change — or not.
“[Performance Improvement Plan]s should only be used if you genuinely believe that the employee has the capability to improve,” she says. “Anything else is torture
for the employee and a time-consumer for managers and HR staff.”
When coaching is no longer an option and confidence is lost, it may be time to end the relationship.
Logistics of Letting Someone Go
Know Why
For Volen Vulkov, co-founder & Harmonizer-in-chief of Enhancy.com, the termination meeting isn’t the time to get into all the details behind the decision, but they must be clearly defined for management before that time comes. The decision-makers, he says, don’t need to be in agreement, but should all have a clear answer to why the staffing choice was made and the next steps moving forward.
The Time is Now
When is the best time to terminate an employee? Friday afternoon? Monday morning? Vulkov suggests forgetting the old standards and letting an employee go the moment that the decision is finalized to avoid potential awkwardness between the time the choice is made until the termination meeting is held.
“Remember, the only thing worse than having doubts about whether to fire a bad employee, is to postpone the decision, creating an environment of animosity, and allowing things to get worse,” Vulkov says.
Plot your Plan
To avoid chaos after losing a team member, Vulkov says, make sure you have a thorough plan for how the company will move forward in everything from day-today duties to staff meetings.
The outgoing employee will also need to know all of the details of their final pay and benefits.
Explain Yourself
One of the biggest mistakes you can make as an employer, Vulkov says, is not informing the staff of the termination, opening up the possibility of employees gossiping about what had transpired.
“Down the road, this could lead to them questioning your motives and hurting morale.”
Final Thoughts
On her employment and human rightsfocused website, Lisa Stam, founder of Spring Law, a virtual law firm advising exclusively on workplace legal issues, advises working with IT professionals when letting go of an employee. Capture the company’s data, Stam says, including the outgoing employee’s emails, since they may act unpredictably.
Stam also reminds employers to collect any equipment (laptops, smartphones, etc.) and have the employee sign off on a release in exchange for any severance beyond what’s required by the Employment Standards Act, Stam adds.
Resource: https://www.liveabout.com/how-to-fire-an-employee-1917907
