Employee terminations: they never get easier

There is no easy way to start, conduct, or end a termination. It is a difficult conversation, no matter how you see it.

Independently of whether the person ending the work relationship with an employee has good reasons for the termination, the act is -in it on itself- strenuous emotionally. In the eyes of the person terminating the person being terminated, it can be a decision that is good for the company, but it can also mean it is a decision that will put someone else in dire straits.

It is effectively ending the source of resources to someone, and -potentially- more than them, i.e., their family.

It dives deep into our survival instinct as humans and can take people to despair.

They become vulnerable to the world. Their livelihood -and their family’s- is threatened.

This is the headspace you must be in while conducting a termination.

There are -even in these circumstances- good practices.

·        Plan ahead for offboarding.

·        Set up a meeting, ideally in person.

·        Explain to them the reason but be succinct.

·        Keep the conversation short, objective, and private.

·        Document the termination, save a copy of the termination letter.

·        Do not tell them how valuable they are, it would be / look insincere.

·        After the event, take a break to refocus your energy. You are not a bad person.

This entire process can help founders and CEOs reframe their hiring decisions. Over-hiring could trigger terminations when a demand surge starts reverting. And if there is no thought behind hiring decisions, terminations can occur more often than not.

They tend to have a lingering effect in the company, which affects morale and productivity.

And they never get easier.