Sometimes an employee just doesn't work out within an organization and needs to be let go. Firing an employee is a task that needs to be handled with delicacy and care, and the process can be intimidating for someone who has never been responsible for terminating an employee before.
If you find yourself in this situation, follow this advice from the members of Young Entrepreneur Council:
What's one tip you'd give a new business owner on how to tactfully fire an employee if they've never done it before?
1. Consider how it can help them in the long run
Letting someone go, in many cases, is a gift for them. If you are driven by a belief that everyone should have the opportunity to find an environment where they can be in their zone of genius, then you have to acknowledge that “zone” might not be with your company. And while sometimes people have a hard time leaving, you letting them go helps them in the long run. —Russell Benaroya, Stride Services
2. Don't blindside the employee
Ensure that you've expressed dissatisfaction in multiple instances prior to termination. When you've reached this point, it's always the right call to terminate. It's also ideal if there are objective measures that the employee is consistently falling short of that can be referenced. —Carlo Cisco, SELECT
3. When firing an employee, control your emotions
Maintain control over your emotions, no matter the situation. Keeping calm as you explain you have to terminate an employee means that you can think clearly. A manager or boss crying as they terminate someone makes the situation more awkward for everyone involved. Practice with a script if necessary or with an HR rep. —Duran Inci, Optimum7
4. Identify an objective reason for firing
Settle on an objective reason for firing and provide as much support as possible. Firing should be based on nonnegotiable factors like culture, quality, or delays that are clear and justifiable. Once you accept that, firing follows a performance improvement process that eventually ends there. As for support, help out the candidate as best as possible. A reference or an upfront leave period helps a lot. —Mario Peshev, DevriX
5. Demonstrate grace and goodwill
Give grace. Some courteous goodwill will go a long way for someone who is experiencing a pivotal moment in their lives. Though sometimes a termination has to be done because of inexcusable behavior, your employee is still a human like you. Look the person in the eye, be cooperative, articulate, and support how they are feeling in the moment and define the next steps. —Beck Bamberger, BAM Communications
6. Offer support
Set your own emotions aside. Firing someone is taxing on you, especially if you liked them personally or have to lay them off despite their hard work. However, this conversation should be about supporting them. Go in prepared to offer services, solutions, or next steps. —Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers, P.A.
7. Get everything in order ahead of time
Make sure you have everything in order beforehand and don’t rush into the meeting. It’s important that the employee has received honest feedback and an opportunity to improve. The termination shouldn’t be a surprise. Give yourself a few minutes and be clear on what needs to be said so you can eloquently present the facts and be resolute with your decision. Allow the person to leave with dignity. —Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker
8. Be concise and direct when firing an employee
Be concise, direct, and composed. Whether the reason for letting someone go is good or bad, empathize and be nice. It is best that your reaction is not dramatic or too overwhelming. That way, the employee won't freak out or overreact as well. If needed, bring an HR manager with you to provide proof of the issues you had with the person. —Daisy Jing, Banish
9. Bring another manager into the room
If you have to fire someone, I suggest bringing in another management-level employee to the room with you. The idea here is you don't want to be in a position where it's your version of what happened against theirs. A witness can calm aggressive behavior and make the process easier for everyone involved. —John Turner, SeedProd LLC
10. Frame the reason in terms of "fit"
When letting someone go, it's helpful to frame the reason for firing the person in terms of "fit." That is, you move the conversation away from what the person did or didn't do, to how their style of working isn't in line with your business culture. This keeps it from being personal and makes it possible for you to express yourself fairly, but without being unduly harsh. —Blair Williams, MemberPress
11. Make sure your process is honest and human
It's never easy to fire someone, whether it's your first time or your hundredth time. As such, it comes down to having an honest and human process. For one, only fire someone who clearly can't meet the minimum requirements of their role over and over again, despite getting help. Tell them “why” in clear terms and wish them well on their next endeavor. —Samuel Thimothy, OneIMS
12. Establish firing policies in your employee handbook
Have clear policies in your employee handbook as well as easy-to-understand performance metrics. Coach the employee who is underperforming to try to get them to turn things around. If it just doesn’t happen, stick to the facts and explain to them that they didn’t meet your standards. —Andrew Schrage, Money Crashers Personal Finance
13. Include HR in the conversation
When letting someone go, it might help not to do it alone. If you'd like, having an HR representative present for the conversation can help it flow accordingly so you're only presenting facts and can handle the situation if it does get out of hand. No one likes the process of getting fired, but you can make it easier by involving HR in case you need help explaining your reasoning. —Jared Atchison, WPForms
14. Put in the work first
Put the work in before the firing conversation so that it's not a shock to the individual. This means being honest and direct when you first feel that things aren't going well with the employee and giving them clear feedback as to what needs to change. The ideal for a firing conversation is that the person knows it is coming and respects that you've given them opportunities to improve in the role. —Kelsey Raymond, Intero Digital
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