Recently I had to fire someone at work because of poor performance. It was not the most fun thing to do but it was the right thing. In the end it’s better for both of us. During the process I followed some guiding principles which made the process as easy as it could have been, non-threatening, and not personal.
Although each company has its own specific processes for performance management, good guiding principles are transferable. Meaning, although specific practices and guidelines might differ, the below described principles are shared amongst most performance management situations.
Few assumptions before we commence:
- Not a new hire – although the same principles can be applied, the many other factors come into play such as lack of training, no prior demonstration of good performance, different laws for dismissing someone, etc.
- There are no known medical concerns that interfere with work performance
- Issue is either performance or productivity
- Absenteeism is not a problem
- You are doing your job as a leader and are meeting all of your expectations
And a little disclaimer: I’m not an HR professional. I’m sure there are others who are more skilled and experienced at this than I am, and if you’re going through a performance management process, you will need HR involved if you work at a place that has one.
Here’s are some of the things to keep in mind the managing performance and firing an employee:
Ensure expectations are clear for both you and the person being managed – it’s hard to manage something that can’t be measured. It’s hard to also meet an expectation of which you are not aware off.
Document results – you’ll see the progress along the way, have something concrete to discuss with the person being performance managed, and have information to which you can refer back and use to make the decision to fire or not.
Be open and transparent – discuss issues openly with the staff in question. Don’t let things build up. This will result in you being frustrated and the other person being surprised. If you’re looking closely at someone’s performance that may be in question, let them know if you find something that needs addressing. From that point on also keep them in the loop as to their progress and how you’re monitoring it.
Provide frequent updates – in writing so that everyone is clear on the situation. I set weekly emails to help keep track of progress and met once every four weeks to discuss. This discussion was later summarized in an email.
Involve the employee in seeking solution to the issue – in the end, assuming they are trained and have all required tools to do the job, it is up to the employee to determine what is missing. You may not be aware of areas which are preventing them from meeting job demands. At the same time, offer input when you feel it’s required
Don’t be nice but don’t be mean – in measuring performance in subjective areas. This is an objective measurement and discussion of meeting expectations. Don’t be an asshole as it does not help anyone. Being overly does not help anyone either. Certain expectations need to be met. If you’re too nice you’ll let poor performance slide which will result in nothing except frustration for you and the team.
Set clear timelines for improvement – and stick to them. This is not a time for wishy washy bullshit. It’ll waste time and can make things uncomfortable.
Be clear about consequences and next steps – within the performance management scope. Be clear about next steps, what will happen if expectations are not met.
Follow through – on those next steps. If you don’t, then you’re not meeting performance expectations on what you’re promised to happen next.
Keep things private – don’t let the team know during the process that you’re managing their co-worker
Meet with your team – after the staff termination. This is not to share the details of what happened. This is to let them know of the termination and what steps you’re taking to help them address the now unmanaged workload in within the team.
Summary:
So in summary, just do your job as a leader. Ensure everyone is clear on performance expectations, hold everyone (including yourself) accountable to those expectations, be transparent, be honest, communicate frequently, involve staff in seeking solutions to a problem, follow through on your word, don’t be an asshole.