Layoffs and Firings

3 Tips for Getting it Right

Talk with them first

No matter how well your recruitment is, there will be times where you’ll have bad hires. These are candidates with an outstanding resume where you had high hopes for, yet couldn’t perform well with their current position. In these kinds of situations, you can’t just simply hope for the best., Rather, you need to take control of the situation ASAP.

Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that firing is your first go-to option. Instead, you can use the power of conversation to re-adjust their thinking. You can do that by sitting down with the individual and openly expressing your concerns. Use point-of-view questions that can help them realize the crux of the issue. By using the right words, you can help them recognize that there’s indeed a problem with their performance at work. Why is such a conversation powerful? There are two reasons.

First, if the employee takes the words by heart, they will no doubt make the effort to make changes drastically to prove that they’re worthy of the position. On the other hand, giving them time to meditate on your conversation might lead them to humbly accept that they may not be the best fit that the company thought they would be. In some cases, meditating on those words may lead them to decide to quit on their own. Whichever the result is, talking with them first is a good way of taking action as if you’re saying, “I’m giving you a second chance.”

Prepare accordingly

Of course, even after such conversations, not everyone is willing to make changes for the better. If that’s the case, then firing them is a clear option. However, you can’t just fire someone on the spot. Like all important matters, careful preparation is needed to ensure that the process will be executed smoothly.

First in the preparation list is practicing what you plan to say to your employee. This is important, as you don’t want your nerves and emotions to get in the way of your main objective. To make sure that you’ll say the right words, write down the main points you want to impart during your conversation. The next thing you need to do is to prepare all required documentation so you can make the firing process as smooth and as legal as possible. Using the documentation, it’s your job to explain the process of termination such as leaving the building, returning company-owned items, the longevity of benefits, etc.

Find the right time and place

You don’t want to drag your employee as soon as they check-in for work just to say that they’re fired on that same day. More importantly, you want to avoid firing someone in a bad state of mind. To make the process as seamless as possible, choose a proper time and place. For some, they would prefer to do it earlier in the week and not on a Friday. As for the time, others would do it during lunch break or a specific time where business impacts are at a minimum. Quiet places such as conference rooms can be good locations for such conversations.

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