What to do when you fire an employee Firing an employee is never an easy task, no matter what the circumstances. Even if the employee in question has behaved in a manner that clearly calls for termination, the act of doing so can still be difficult. No matter the reason, firing an employee is an unpleasant act that needs to be handled carefully, not just for the sake of the employee, but also for the rest of the workforce. If you’ve ever wondered how to properly terminate an employee, read over these tips.
Follow Procedure Managers are usually issued company instructions for dealing with management-related situations, including the firing of an employee. The most important thing you can do is to follow these protocols exactly. Sometimes the situation may prompt you to wonder if you should go about the firing in a different way, but keep in mind that you are a manager first, and you must perform the action of firing as the company intended. Make sure you alert security personnel and complete all necessary paperwork when an employee is fired. If it is not covered in your company’s termination policy, ensure that the firing happens during lunch or once most employees have left for the day.
Plan for the Loss in Personnel While no official actions should be taken until the employee has been fired, it is a good idea to begin planning out which of your employees will be able to take over the extra workload until a new person can be hired. Especially in the case of a firing that is done to keep the company profitable, it seems like a waste to let an employee go, only to lose potential business while the company scrambles to take over the work and accounts the fired employee left behind. Whether you plan to spread the recentlyvacated responsibilities over your existing workforce or hire a temp to help out, make sure that you know exactly how to delegate the extra work as soon as the termination has been completed.
Recruit a Replacement As soon as the employee has been fired, immediately start looking for a replacement. Your company’s human resources department should be able to help you with this by posting a job advertisement both internally and online. Take extra care in reviewing resumes and applications of potential hires, looking for someone that will succeed where his or her predecessor fell short. Use applicant screening software
if available. Once you have determined a couple of your top choices, set up times to interview them before deciding who will get the job. Firing an employee is never pleasant, but it is a part of the job as a manager. As long as you go about it in the right way, you’ll have the knowledge that your actions are helping the company to become more successful. Photocredit: wikipedia, pixabay