How to Terminate an Employee without Breaking their Spirit

How to Terminate an Employee without Breaking their SpiritHow to Terminate an Employee without Breaking their SpiritHow to Terminate an Employee without Breaking their Spirit Grote, author of How to Be Good At wertzuwachs Appraisals Simple, Effective, Done RightWriting up an employees performance reviewmay confirm your suspicion that the individual and the organization are so mismatched that employee termination is the right answer. Or, perhaps during the course of the year, a persons failure to respond sufficiently to your coaching, or his commission of an unacceptable offense, may cause the need to terminate.Employee terminationmust be carefully planned, with the heavy involvement of human resources, if this assistance is available. But the responsibility for how to terminate an employeeis the job of the manager and not that of the HR rep.Get to the Point QuicklyTo begin, waste no time with small talk or anything other than the job at hand. In the movie Jerry Maguire, Jerrys peer, a sleazy sports agent named Bob Sugar, takes him to lunch with the purpose of firing him. While hes portrayed in the movie as a slimeball, Sugar does one thing right he gets right to the point. He leads with a clear ansicht of the bad news he has to deliver Im here to fire you, Jerry, he states within a minute of their sitting down.As HR expert Kris Dunn notenzeichens, when youre delivering bad, life-changing news, clarity is your friend. The confusion related to small talk is your enemy.Heres a brief, step-by-step guide to one of leaderships most unpleasant duties.1.Say, Hello, name. Come in and sit down. Ive got some bad news for you. (Note Communications experts always advise that its important to set the appropriate tone for the meeting. By starting with the statement, Ive got some bad news you have eliminated any confusion.)2.State the reason for the termination in one short sentence As you know, the reason for the termination.3.Say, As a result, it is my duty to let you know t hat your employment with the company has been terminated as of today. (Note Use the past tense. Say, Your employment has been terminated, not will be terminated.)4.Be specific about what will happen next pay, benefits, unused vacation time, references, outplacement, and so forth.5.Close by thanking the person for his contributions to the company. (Note While it may seem odd to thank someone youre terminating for poor performance, almost everyone makes some contributions. Ending on a grace note can forestall future problems.)Be fully prepared to deal with all of the questions that invariably arise at the time the termination is announced this is one time you wont be able to say, Ill get back to you on that. Make sure you have answers to questions like these before you initiate the terminationIs today my last day?When should I leave?Will I receive severance pay? How much?Will I receive the bonuses I was eligible for?When will I receive my last paycheck?Will I be paid for accumulated sick leave or vacation time not taken?Am I eligible for unemployment insurance?Will you or the company provide employment references? What will you say if you are asked to provide a reference?What will my coworkers and clients be told about my termination?Will my medical and insurance benefits continue?When must I return company property such as a car, cell phone, and keys?What happens to my pension, profit sharing, or savings plans?Can I continue to use my office or work area to look for a job?When can I go back to my work area to get all my personal things?Can I say goodbye to everyone before I go?The termination meeting should be brief ten to fifteen minutes is usually sufficient. People always want more. You can talk for hours to no benefit. If possible, schedule the termination early in the week so you dont give the person the weekend to brood about it.In your discussion, dont attempt to justify or defend the decision. Stick to what you know for sure. You dont know, for exampl e, that an employee who has failed a drug screen is a drug anwender or an addict. What you do know is that his drug screen was positive. Make sure the person has heard the termination news clearly, but avoid any personal attacks, accusations, or justifications (You should have known . . .). And certainly dont tell the employee that this is difficult for you. Your ex-employee would gladly change places.Employee termination is undoubtedly one of the most disliked requirements of being a manager. But the termination of a marginal employee, if handled compassionately and maturely, will only generate relief from those who have had to put up with drones and deadwood, slackers and dedicated free-riders, without being able to take action. And remember its not the people you fire who make your life miserable. Its the ones you dont.Author BioDick Grote is President of Grote Consulting Corporation in Dallas, Texas. He is an expert in performance management and the author most recently of How to Be Good At Performance Appraisals Simple, Effective, Done Right, available at HBR.org and other retailers. Hes also the author of The Complete Guide To Performance Appraisal, The Performance Appraisal Question and Answer Book, Forced Ranking Making Performance Management Work, and Discipline Without Punishment.Be a better managerLaying off anemployee is one of the most difficult moments in a managers careerespecially when that employee has tried to improve, but, for whatever reason, just couldnt get it together. Knowing what to say, how to say it, and how to help them move forward are of utmost importance to your own reputation as a team leader. Could you use some help with that?Sign up for exclusive https//www.youtube.com/ adviceand well send you the latest recruiting tips, hiring trends, management strategies, and even some awesome deals.You can rely on expertise to help get you through those uncomfortable, yet inevitable, moments in your career.