Share what you know with millions of people
Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content
0
Are you a small business owner who had a terrible time firing a worker? How did you handle it?
Events
- Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
- Lead Nurturing 202: The Next Generation May 31 @ 11 am PT
- The Tricks to Paid Media June 6 @ 11 am PT
- Display Advertising for Brand Awareness June 20 @ 11 am PT
Related Activity
3 Answers
Both as an owner and consultant I've personally dealt with this. The base issue seems to be the unknown once that person is gone. As with most of us, we tend to fear loss of what we have, even if it is not good, it at least is known.
The most effective way I've found to assist one thorough this is to ask plenty of outcome questions. What would happen if that person was not here? How would the other employees react? Who could take the work load for a short time? Will they really leave a void? Does this person really fit in the culture today? What is the cost of keeping this person in terms of productivity, moral, lost sleep?
A conversation with such questions soon exposes the real costs of retaining the person and the choice becomes overwhelmingly clear.
Harlan makes some good points. The effect on the rest of the staff in a small business is large, both in workload and emotionally.
I've been through a couple of tough dismissals. Timely feedback and documentation are most critical but often missing, especially when it's with an employee who is not working out. Some managers know it will not go well due to the employees personality, and so they avoid those tough conversations. Or expectations were not clearly discussed and so bad habits or attitudes go 'unchecked' from the start. So when the dismissal comes, it can be heated, nasty or both.
As the HR manager, I have the opportunity to learn more from the employee than the manager, as long as I don't take sides but keep the role of mediator.
By listening to the employee, most where unhappy at their job, some wanted out but just hadn't taken those steps and some, months later, found a job and company that was a better fit.
By providing an impartial ear, then providing the employee with information about other opportunities, resume writers and unemployment benefits (sometimes that's all they want), you can get even the most disgruntled employee on another path that is better suited for them.
In the first years of my business, I hired a sales person and put him on a base salary plus commission. During the 3 months he worked for me, he charged twice his salary in expenses. And he closed NO sales. It was not too difficult to tell him that I could no longer afford to pay his salary. Since then, I have worked in outplacement as a career counsellor and have seen that the best way to handle a "letting go" is to offer assistance with their job search. Just make sure you find a reliable career consultant who will coach your former employee in a positive manner. By focusing on their future, employees can get past the humiliation of dismissal much faster.
Answer This Question