Most managers would agree that one of their least favorite parts of their job is having to fire employees. It's not a fun or happy experience, but often a necessary one. An excellent manager takes care of their employees, which will more than likely involve having to let some people go. Let's dive into the "how" of terminating employees!
Chris Clark is an HR business partner at Airbnb but has previously worked at Twitter, Uber, and several other reputable companies. On the topic of firing employees, Chris said, "The manager is the decision maker, and the manager is the one who delivers the message." Consulting with HR or other leaders in the company can be helpful, but ultimately the direct manager or supervisor needs to take point on this conversation.
Chris went on to describe the termination process, saying, "Where possible it shouldn't be a surprise". In order to keep terminations from being surprises for the employee being let go, follow this straightforward process as performance issues arise:
Set clear goals and expectations from the start
Give feedback to the employee on how they're doing
Document the feedback
Provide time for the employee to change their behavior.
Let's set this up in a scenario. An employee named Martha is aware that she is expected to be at work by 9:00 AM every morning. However, the last few weeks she has shown up to work closer to 10:00 AM. Her manager calls her into his office and explains that because they have important meetings taking place in that first hour of work, she will need to be there on time. He sends an email to her, and copies an HR representative, explaining that they had this conversation and what the specific expectations are going forward. Martha continues to be late, and it's getting later every day. Her manager speaks with her again saying that she will be given one week to prove that she can meet the expectations that have been set. Martha's tardiness continues and after that week her employment with that company is terminated. There's no reason that this conversation would have come as a shock to Martha.
As far as the actual termination conversation goes, Chris says that one of the most important things a manager can do is be respectful. When you give respect, you often receive it in return. "A lot of managers get screwed up because they do it disrespectfully, or they'll be nervous and then it's not clear." Something as important as firing an employee should be done carefully, kindly, and clearly, to avoid further issues. Effective communication can mean the difference between smooth sailing in your work place, and detrimental tension.