Many people, unfortunately, are going to be laid off in the next several months. And business leaders are going to be the ones doing the firing. It hurts to have to fire someone, but not as bad as it hurts to be fired. So if and when you have to do it, respect the employees and make it as painless and respectful as possible.
Prepare
First of all, prepare for the employee meetings. If you have a Human Relations advisor, or a mentor or coach, get their input. This is not a meeting you have often, so don’t simply trust your instincts. Make notes for the meeting; so that you make sure you include all the points you want to make. And practice what you’re going to say. Don’t wing it.
Privacy and Candor
Make an appointment with the employee, and meet them in a private place. Use an office or conference room, or someplace else where you both can have privacy. Make sure you are candid and direct about the reasons. Explain in detail the financial pressures the company is under and explain that this decision is about the company, not about the employee. It does no good to bring up performance issues, unless they’ve been discussed in the past and they were significant reasons why this employee was selected to be terminated. Stick to the real point that the company simply can no longer afford to keep all the staff.
Reaction
Give people time to react. While they should be paying attention to what is going on, most will appear shocked. Some may get angry or cry. Let it happen. This is the time to show respect to the “person,” even if the “employee” has to be terminated. Make sure they have time to ask questions, and prepare a written package of information for them. Include the last day of pay, what happens to unused vacation, collection of company property, disposition of retirement accounts (if any), and what will happen to their benefits going forward.
Assistance
If the employee warrants it, tell them you’ll be happy to serve as a reference or prepare a letter of recommendation for them. And if you can give them a few leads as to where they may find work, do it. Don’t promise or encourage them into thinking you can find them a job. Simply offer the facts of what you can do for them.
Scheduling
Some people think its best to do a firing on a Friday; so the tensions have time to abate over the weekend. It may be better for you, but this is about the employee. I recommend doing it early in the week. Then they have some time to immediately begin a new job search without having to wallow in their grief all weekend. They undoubtedly have friends at the company, and they may need to hear all the support they can from their co-workers.
Transition
Try to make sure to demonstrate respect for the person. Avoid having security escort them out of the building, or having them clean out their desk or truck immediately. Ideally, give them a few days or weeks of time to clear up their responsibilities and transition projects to others. This will also give them a business setting to work from for a while doing their next job search
Learn from it
I’ve done this more than I like, and I’ve learned from the experience. Think about what the employee could have done to avoid the situation … such as begin looking for a new position as soon as the company’s situation began to worsen… or transferring into a more critical part of the company where they are less likely to be terminated … or doing unique things that make them truly indispensible. And then think about the advice you can give remaining employees, and to take yourself, to avoid more layoffs in the future. If you’re the business owner, the one who got caught with not enough money to pay everyone, redouble your efforts, take control, and do the things that will have you NOT participating in the economic slowdown. Be the one hiring good people who are now available.
I’d love to hear from you on you good or bad firing experiences. Whether you’re boss or the laid- off employee. Feel free to call or email your comments, questions, and ideas.
Barry Neagle
President, Neagle & Associates, Ltd.
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