TerminationsWhen It’s Time to Part Ways

No Surprises

Verbal warnings Make sure you have given the employee verbal notice of the issues

Written warnings If the problems persist, you should document the issues in writing and

review them with the employee The employee does not necessarily have to agree, but they should hear

and see what your concerns are Follow your Disciplinary Process

Each organization may be a little different but be sure to follow the practice for your organization

Focus on Behavior

Don’t focus on the person By this we mean, that it shouldn't’[t feel like a personal attack. You should

focus on the behavior that it not acceptable whether that is something they are doing that they shouldn’t be or whether is something they aren’t doing that they should be.

Acknowledge that not everyone is good at everything Explain that it may be a situation where they are a good person, the

company is a good company and it is just a bad match in terms of the skill set they have and the skill set the job requires

Be truthful

Unapologetically so It is natural to feel bad when you have to terminate someone, but do not

start off the conversation with “I am sorry” If you have done all your pre-work, you have made every attempt to help

the person succeed They own the responsibility at this point for not having been successful Clearly and succinctly lay out the reasons that you have come to this

conclusion

Offer to Help

Resume preparation If this is a situation where the skill sets are just a mismatch and the person

could be successful someplace else, offer to help with resume prep or review. Perhaps focusing them on the skill sets where they could be successful

Referrals to temp agencies or contract recruiters Again, if this is a good person who simply couldn't perform your job,

sometimes offering to refer them on to another source can be helpful

References

Don’t give references I know it sounds like a good thing to do, but in this litigious society it can

come back to bite you You want to say nice things about the person to help them get a new

position, but what you say can be used against you in a wrongful termination suit

This applies to verbal and written references. Just make it a company policy to only give out title and dates of employment

The End

While never pleasant, terminations, done correctly , do not have to be unduly uncomfortable situations

When you know you have done everything possible to help the person to succeed and they aren’t, you can move on with a clear conscious.