The working life of a person is defined from the moment that person begins to work, in which you can observe various aspects such as appearance, punctuality, the way of expressing himself and even non-verbal communication, which will give way to know how your performance in a company is going to be.
During that journey, a person can have several jobs, which will depend on job performance or, at other times, the stability of the company. Thus, sometimes it may be by choice, and for professional growth, you change jobs or because the company decided to do without you as an employee. The truth of times like these is that a layoff can be a complicated process.
It is even more complicated when you are responsible for the dismissal because the situation that is presented is a bit difficult. As an employer, you do not know what will be the reaction of that person who has to go, or whether it will take it by surprise or if the person expected it already. Although there are several reasons to dismiss a person, generally three:
- When there is a reduction of personnel, because the company is in economic problems and, therefore, cannot continue to pay a high payroll and dismiss employees that are not strictly necessary for the functionality of the company.
- When the employee is not fulfilling job responsibilities and goals, that person performs poorly or has been called prior attention.
- When the worker has committed a severe fault, and his dismissal is immediate.
Now, regardless of which of the above reasons you choose to dismiss an employee, the point is that it is something that has to be done tactfully and can be viewed from different perspectives.
How to do it correctly?
The first thing is to communicate it at the beginning of the week and not on Friday afternoon at the last minute. This way it is easier for the employee to assume his new situation less traumatically. When you do it on a Friday, you leave the whole weekend for the person to sink into the depression of dismissal.
You do it at a time when the employment market is apparently closed. I say apparently because it is the feeling you have, which is not real because the visible market of the offers on the web precisely gets more active on the weekends. If you say goodbye on Friday, you do not care about your employee because you prevent him from communicating it to clients, suppliers, other departments, which will not make it easier for that professional to close that relationship properly. This can hinder your future recruitment.
The best thing is when the decision to be communicated is made by the direct boss rather than using HR to convey the decision. It is part of your responsibilities to take up the wrong times.
If you just want to go out in the photo to wear the medals and run away at hard times, you are a bad boss. Do not disappear after communicating it. You must be accessible so that they can consult you for doubts if any. Remember, do it in a private place and not in sight of everybody. Do not make the person feel ashamed or humiliated in public.
As part of the dismissal, apart from the corresponding compensation, you should hire an outplacement program. Although, if you are going to say goodbye to many, it may be in a group, it is best if it is an individual program for each one.
The individual program will be a little more expensive, but it has several advantages. With this program, the situation becomes much better for the dismissed; it helps to keep the morale of those who stay in the company because it shows that you care about the dismissed and, finally, alleviate your conscience because you have done everything possible to facilitate the search for a new job.
What to keep in mind?
Respect first and foremost: Whatever the cause of the dismissal, there must always be a harmonious relationship between boss and employee.
Space: If you do it in a public place or in the same area where the employee performs the work, he would be giving a talk for the individual and co-workers, as the person would be exposed to the rest of the staff.
The time it takes to fire the employee: It is recommended that the time of giving notice of dismissal be as fast as possible. If you delay more, you will be lending much time to the person, which encourages second thoughts and the person may react worse and worse.
Adequate explanations must be given: The person you are dispensing with not only has to leave with a letter of dismissal but also with the proper explanation, the clear and concise reasons for which the employee was dismissed. Thus, in the long run, it is better for the image of the company.
Sell it as an opportunity: At the moment of being dismissed, the person is told that this is a time to improve the shortcomings that he had and get better in his next job.
It is better to have someone from the Human Resources area, as this person will help you with the legal terms of hiring and the employee will get out of this situation as quickly as possible.
In this regard, senior executives of major industries from around the world, agree that once an employee has been dismissed for the first time, the experience is gained on how to handle the situation and, later the experience helps.
They also indicate that it is essential that the news is presented in a ‘safe zone’ for the employee and the boss, also considering all the personal factors and severe personal problems that the person is going through in personal life. Be honest, transparent, and give the news, the more delayed and complicated it is, the worse it is for both parties.
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