How to Fire Someone Gracefully
There are many things that managers love about directing a department. There are opportunities to see employees grow, seeing their ideas become reality and seeing overall growth and a positive impact on the bottom line. But there is one thing that most managers dread: having to fire an employee. Whether the employee isn't performing or there is no longer a position for them, regardless of the reason, the conversation can be awkward. The lasting opinion the employee will have of you can come down to how you handle firing them. So, here are some tips on how to handle the dreaded conversation with grace and empathy.
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It isn't about you. No matter how awkward the conversation may be for you, it doesn't even begin to compare to how the employee will feel after they hear the words that they are being let go. You will need to play the role of a strong, decisive manager here, even if firing this certain employee is extremely difficult. Don't use the occasion to become emotional or try to offer comfort to the employee by telling them how bad you feel about making this decision. That is confusing and sends a mixed message. After all, if you are so upset about it, the employee may wonder why you are firing them in the first place or argue to stay. If you need to talk about how you feel, talk about your emotions with your mentor before having the conversation with your employee. This will allow you to keep a cool head and stay collected, especially if the employee becomes emotional. You can be kind and empathetic for their feelings without becoming emotional yourself. Give them time to take the news in, allow for silence to let them process it and give them time to ask questions, as needed.
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Cover your bases. Before calling your employee into your office to let them go, it's important that you do your homework. This includes talking to human resources about any possible issues with letting this person go or any extra paperwork you may need to provide them with. You should also anticipate any questions that the employee might raise. If you are new to firing employees, make sure you know the protocol for what the employee needs to do next. Even if you are seasoned at letting employees go, double-check what you need to do and have everything set up ahead of time. This isn't the time to wing it; you will want to make sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible for the employee.
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Keep it short. Keeping the conversation short will require preparation on your part. Determine how you can sum up why the employee is being fired while being tactful. This will provide closure for the employee. Is the department being reduced? Are they just not good enough in a certain aspect of their job? Don't use this occasion to talk about every single thing that the employee has done wrong. Think about how you can sum it up into a short sentence or two. If you do your best to help your employees grow, your employee probably already knows why you are firing him or her. In any case, the employee will already feel down enough without you having to go through every mistake they ever made. Write down a script if necessary or a few main talking points and practice out loud. If you are new to this process, record yourself. Then play it back and ask yourself how you would feel if you were the employee. Could you say the same thing in a more precise way?
Offer support. Until the employee walks out the door, you are still the manager. Continue to provide them with guidance and support until they leave the building. While it would be inappropriate to provide emotional support, you can and should provide moral support. Don't just deliver the bad news and then hand them off to someone else. Offer to help them with this last phase of their employment under your care. Would they appreciate your accompanying them to their office to collect their things? Would they like the chance to say goodbye to their co-workers? Do they need a way to get home? Could you provide them with a letter of recommendation? Find the balance between not kicking them out but not letting them stay all day either. As the leader of a department, the situation will be upsetting for your other employees, as well. So be sensitive but keep the process moving along.
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