How to Fire the Employee Who's Holding You Back

Compliments of Jennifer Alsever

Donald Trump makes it look easy, but the words "you're fired" are always difficult to say. Letting an employee go is painful, and for many managers the process is fraught with sleepless nights and stomach-churning anxiety. But hanging onto the wrong people can ultimately make matters worse for you, your other employees, and your business. Here's how to break the news firmly but gently, so you can put the rest of your team back on track.

Treat Dismissal As an Option of Last Resort
Goal: Make sure the employee has been given ample opportunities to succeed.
Before you lower the axe, ask yourself whether you should really let this person go and whether you've given them sufficient opportunity to redeem themselves. Will more training or guidance help? Is the problem the worker, or the work environment? Along the way, communicate expectations clearly—in person and in writing—and provide sufficient feedback so the worker knows where he stands. Planning and documentation is key to letting someone go gracefully, and it's also the best way to avoid expensive litigation. It's tough to objectively document a worker's surly attitude, but you can address the issue in periodic employee review sessions. Keep copies of those reviews and document performance regularly, indicating how the worker was informed of your expectations, how he fell short, and whether or not he knew that continued failure would result in termination. Performance reviews are important, but no set number is needed. Just be sure to treat every worker equally and even-handedly: Don't scold the underperformer for lateness if you let another worker get away with the same transgression.

Danger! Danger! Danger!
Flattery Will Get You Nowhere.
"A lot of employers fall into the trap of trying to flatter workers [in reviews] with the hopes that problems will go away," says Lew Clark Jr., an attorney at Squire Sanders & Dempsey in Columbus, Ohio. "Workers think the boss is happy, and when they're fired that can create legal problems because they feel that the firing was discriminatory or unlawful." For more detail about the legal issues surrounding employee termination, see "Firing and the Law."

Endure Pain Now to Enjoy Benefits Later
Goal: Get over your guilt. Accept that you're doing the right thing and start preparing for the change.
Once you're sure an employee isn't working out, act on that conclusion. "The longer it takes to fire someone, the more you're in danger of losing respect from the rest of the organization," says Monique A. Dearth, a former HR manager at General Electric who's now president of Incite Strategies, a consulting firm in Atlanta, Georgia. "Firing someone is never something we want to do, but it's inevitable, and if you're a leader it's something you're going to have to get used to."

Nobody likes conflict, but while you dither, your company may lose customers, money, or productivity. Tolerating sub-par performance can also impact the morale of other employees. "Managing an underperformer drains resources," says HR consultant Donna Flagg, who spent 15 years as a human resources professional for Chanel, Barneys New York, Donna Karan, and Goldman Sachs. "Other employees will want to leave if they feel they're not being recognized while someone else is doing less and getting a break." It's better to spend your time filling an open position, she adds, than managing someone who shouldn't be in the job.

Don't forget continuity planning, and anticipate what you'll need to do to replace the employee or handle her work flow once she's gone. Will you need approval from anyone above you before firing the worker? Before asking other employees to fill in? Is there anyone you'll want to promote into the vacated position?

Hot Tip
Put the Ball in Their Court.
In many cases, when the skills, work ethic, or personality of a worker don't mesh with the rest of an organization, you may actually be doing them a favor by letting them go. In fact, they may know this as well. So before you fire someone, consider asking if they're really happy in their job, rating it on a scale of 1 to 10. Sometimes, employees will realize on their own that it's in their best interest to move on.

Set a Time, Date, and Place
Goal: Map out a strategy to make the event as painless as possible.
There's never a good time to tell people they're fired. But if you wait until 4 p.m. on Friday, the terminated employee might question why he wasted his whole week. "Monday gives them an opportunity to regroup and start networking," says Pamela Holland, COO of Brody Professional Development. Likewise, it's best to get it over early in the day, so you won't be distracted by the looming conversation. Cutting ties during lunch hour can be a good idea, because the office will be relatively empty and a fired worker can clean out his desk in private. Plan out the details carefully, considering whether company policy requires that the worker be escorted out of the office and whether he has access to critical company systems. (If so, you may want to back up files before you have the conversation.) Arrange to have the employee's final paycheck ready on the day of your termination meeting.

Give some thought to where you will hold the meeting. Don't go out to lunch or pull a worker into your office, because it can be difficult to end the conversation. Instead, pick a neutral place, such as a conference room, where you can easily walk out when you're done. Afterwards, bring in a human resources representative to handle the final details: collecting keycards, laptops, filling out paperwork, and answering questions about health insurance and accrued vacation. "They can complain if they want, but they'll be sitting there with someone who can't do anything about it," says James Wright, who handled numerous layoffs at tech firms during the dot-com bust.

Danger! Danger! Danger!
National "Daddy Got Canned" Day.
In addition to consulting your own calendar, check to see whether the planned termination will fall on a day that may have significance for others. One company didn't think through its firing plan and let a systems engineering manager go on Take Our Daughters to Work Day. Security escorted both the man and his 8-year-old daughter out the door.

Keep It Quick and Clear
Goal: Be direct and don't let ambiguity creep into the conversation.
Though you'll spend a lot of time planning and preparing, firing someone typically only takes a few minutes. Be clear and—harsh though it sounds—use the words "terminate," "let you go," or "fire."

"When people hear bad news, they go into selective listening mode," says Bob Kustka, who handled terminations at Gillette for 25 years. Kustka recalls one manager who told a worker he needed to "move him out," intending to terminate him. The worker walked away thinking he was being transferred to a different job.

You can show sympathy by starting out with "this isn't going to be easy to hear," but keep it simple and stick to the facts. Ideally you will have already had several conversations about the worker's performance, so the news shouldn't come as a surprise. Be clear—"You're being fired because you stole," or "You're being fired because you're not hitting your sales numbers"—but avoid a laundry list of the worker's personal faults. If necessary, write a script and have a checklist of items you need to cover. For example, be sure to tell them when their departure is effective.

The way you deliver the news can determine how the person reacts—and whether they'll pursue legal action. "When they feel disrespected, employees will believe the law has been violated," says Clark, the lawyer. "How the decision is communicated—doing it respectfully and preserving the employee's dignity—can make a difference." If the worker becomes angry or hostile, end the conversation and insist she promptly leave the premises. Avoid an argument by simply stating "I will not argue with you."

Close the conversation by giving the worker credit for the effort she's put forward. Tell her you're sorry this has happened, but that it's what you must do. Depending on the situation, you may also want to show support by offering to be a reference. Stand up, wish the person well, and shake hands. Then introduce the representative from the human resources department and leave the room.

What Not to Do
Common Mistakes When Firing.
Don't talk about yourself: If you say, "I know how you feel," or "I don't want to do this," you seem more worried about yourself than about them. Do not offer advice.

Don't sugarcoat: Don't offer false praise and tell them all the reasons why you think they're great. It clouds the issue and can be confusing. Pick one genuinely positive thing to say about the person, but do not go overboard.

Don't defend yourself: Even if you're told you're a lousy manager, resist the temptation to tell your side of the story. Stay calm and redirect the conversation back to the worker and your decision.

Let the Rest of Your Team Know
Goal: Lay the groundwork for a smooth transition among the workers who remain.
Tell other workers about the termination right away. Flagg says, "Any window [of time] is dangerous. Someone will hear that it happened, and the news will run like wildfire." Just as in your conversation with the fired employee, don't get into big discussions with fellow workers. Instead, explain that "John left the company on Monday" or "John no longer works here," recognizing his contribution to the company but avoiding details of why he was fired.

If you have a team, bring them together that week to talk about their concerns, discuss how to handle the departed employee's workflow, and map out your plan to fill the vacancy. If the firing was an isolated incident, you may want to assure workers that their jobs are not in danger. But if employee performance varies considerably, save your comments for private conversations tailored to each person.

Nitty Gritty
The Kindest Cut.
One way to bring compassion to the firing process is to let the person determine some aspect of how they will leave. Some managers offer the fired worker the opportunity to resign. This is usually done with high-level executives, but it may also apply in cases where there's a friendly relationship between the employee and employer.

In other situations, smaller gestures are appropriate. You might give the employee a choice about who will walk him out of the building: you or the HR rep. He should also be able to choose whether he wants to gather his personal belongings now or after hours, and whether he's ready to have the benefits conversation or wants to postpone it to another time, when he's feeling less rattled

A Most Heartfelt Thank-you

After the trials and satisfactions of founding a new business…after the initial weeks of startup operations, I am still taken aback, in high spirits, and honored at being awarded with such high trust to place our first candidates in new jobs with a world-class company — for doing nothing more than what I am passionate about.

I've said it before; I'll say it again: I love bringing together job seekers and employers. We believe that it is people who drive business success, and it is our job to bring people together. Where else, but in the Staffing Industry, can you represent, serve and inspire talented individuals in connection with business performance as well as career progression and be showered with praise for doing something you have so much fun doing?

Many, many thanks to…

~ Adecco. the world leader in workforce solutions www.adeccousa.com.
~ Joyce Russell, President and Chief Operating Officer of Adecco USA who gave Direct Search Alliance its entrée to becoming the leader in talent acquisition for the Staffing Industry.
~ Kristy Willis, Senior Vice President, Southwest Division Adecco USA for choosing to be our first customer.
~ Peggy Hardebeck, Vice President of Operations, Southwest Division Adecco USA for her in-depth interviews and professional consideration our initial candidates.
~ MaryLou Hager, Regional Operations Manager, East Central Texas Adecco USA for making the front-line decisions to hire our initial candidates.
~ Lynda Comer, Branch Manager, Houston TX Adecco USA whose peer review allowed us to get to the next steps in the hiring process.
~ Rana Meyers, Southwest Division Administrator Adecco USA for trafficking the process end-to-end
~ Doug Arms, Chief Talent Officer Ajilon Finance, Office, Legal & Financial Solutions / Sr. Vice President - Talent Management Adecco USA for his leadership and support in our service to the Adecco family of companies.
~ Bernadette Kenny, Chief Career Officer Adecco North America for endorsing our service to Adecco.

Thanks and best wishes to…

~ Richard Embrick, our first candidate placed, who starts his career today with Adecco as Branch Manager of the Houston Galleria Staffing office – new to the Staffing Industry, his optimism about his career is inspiring.
~ Randy Burch, our second candidate placed, starting the same day, as the Branch Manager of the Houston Northwest Staffing office – his plan to develop this market for Adecco is exciting.

Thanks and welcome to…

~ Nancy (Huang) Soni, Managing Principal Direct Search Alliance for collaborating with me in this business endeavor – our shared principals, attitudes and beliefs make our company distinctive and our prospects favorable in the years ahead.
~ Kisa Brannen, Research Manager Direct Search Alliance who’s Ivy League background and quick study of the Staffing Industry showed us the way to top talent in the Houston marketplace.

Balancing business travel with your life: 5 tips

An increasing number people who travel for a living are concluding that their lives are out of balance. More than half of all business travelers say the time they spent with family has been significantly reduced as a result of being on the road, compared with 39% in 2001. And more than one-third said social time spent with friends suffered through the demands of traveling for their company, compared with 28% in 2001.

If you feel you're on the road too much, here are five steps toward positive change.

1. Tap the brakes before you get into an accident. Years of heavy travel will take a toll on most people. If you can think of your career as a car ride, remember to hit the brakes every now and then. That means taking breaks from traveling.

2. Use the tools you have to set a reasonable pace. This is a struggle for any business traveler — even the ones who have achieved a better balance. Microsoft Outlook's Calendar function is a good tool. It allows you to identify the most important appointments and it prompts you when they're due. While that's far more efficient than writing everything down on a memo pad, it is possible to have too much of a good thing where every little "to-do" item starts popping up on your screen, frequently interrupting your concentration. Another option is Franklin Planner for Outlook (www.franklincover/fpo) which lets you further prioritize your appointments. It also integrates nicely with Outlook. A caution: Technology alone won't put your life back into balance. But it can help.

3. Ask yourself: Do I really need to be there in person? A lot of business meetings can be accomplished virtually, with the help of Web conferencing software. The use of "virtual meeting" technologies experienced an uptick after 9/11, as companies cut back on business travel. But even now, as corporate travel heats up again, there are still plenty of smart reasons to pick Web-based meeting applications over an in-person meeting. Not the least of these is the fact that you eliminate the stress of traveling.

4. Remember: Garbage in, ugh, garbage out. When you spend time on the road, you tend to eat food you normally wouldn't (and in quantities you wouldn't) drink things you wouldn't, put off exercising and get insufficient sleep. Whoa. That alone is enough to knock your life out of balance. Try to maintain as many elements of your “regular life” on the road to maintain your health. Pack essentials that support familiar routines and diet.

5. Don't forget your friends, family and loved ones. It's possible to burn the figurative candle at both ends to have a successful business. But, the whole exercise seems rather pointless if you alienate everyone around you in the process. Don't think of your colleagues and relatives as obstacles standing in the way of your success — tethering you to the office when you should be out on the road drumming up business. Think of them instead as your support group. They'll be there when you need them.

Is bringing your career into balance an all-or-nothing proposition? Not necessarily, small steps and best practices repeated over time help you have a life and a career.

By Christopher Elliott

How to Avoid the Counter-Offer Trap

Counter-offers may be flattering, but what do they truly represent? A sincere renewed commitment to a resigning employee? Not exactly--they are no more than an employer’s attempt to minimize loss. Loss is significant when even the average employee resigns, so it is important that employees see through the manipulation and make an educated decision based on their own interests and professional development.

Labeling a counter-offer as a means of manipulation is arguably a strong accusation, but after years of seeing candidates reject great opportunities, only to succumb to false flattery, no other description seems adequate. The majority of employees are keen to receive the attention of their employer, despite there being times when their work and personal needs have gone unrecognized during their tenure. This makes a counter-offer an even more attractive option as it appears to be the acknowledgment that had previously been so conspicuously absent. The problem, of course, is that it is not the real recognition they seek and is not on a par with accolades and promised that are offered without the pressure of a resignation letter on the table.

Seeking new opportunities should never be used as a means of increasing salary. Despite any apparent improvement in working conditions and salary, the real battle is lost as ultimately, the employer’s hand has been forced and thus loyalties have been compromised. Employees desiring better professional prospects or higher pay should fight on the merits of their contributions to the business without resorting to threats of departure. If this is not possible and career development opportunities are not enough to offset an employee’s wants, needs and career objectives, then they need to work towards finding new employment with a determination not to look back. Making this decision closes the door to counter-offers and ensures that new opportunities are sought for the right reasons and without secondary motivations.

Regardless of their intentions, some find it too difficult, both emotionally and practically, to turn down the rewards a counter-offer may bring. For many this may be increased salary, better benefits, improved working conditions, or even stock holdings in the company. It is only by seeing these perks as a mitigator of loss and not as a recognition of achievement or gesture of understanding that they can be viewed in the correct light.

Expect a counter-offer: any good candidate is sure to attract the attention of their employer and therefore be offered more favorable employment than their current circumstance. By learning to expect this beforehand, surprises can be avoided later and candidates are able to recognize that these benefits would have been offered upfront if the employer truly wanted to recognize their contributions and them as a person.

Why can employers offer so much when faced with a resignation? The main reason is that the cost of hiring a new employee is so prohibitively high. To determine the cost, one needs to add: the loss of opportunity and output of the former employee; those of the staff needed to interview new candidates; and the price of a recruitment agency or advertising platform to solicit new applications. This equation often generates a cost in excess of $20,000, and this is only for lower level positions and under conditions when the position is filled quickly. In situations where the employee is senior or has a large influence on the organization, costs mount quickly with added factors such as the impact on morale, training costs and temporary coverage costs. If you were the manager, a couple of grand pay rise seems cheap – doesn’t it?

With such loaded motivation, employees should never consider a counter-offer as a sign of recognition. They should also consider carefully what life will be like for them in the company after their attempted resignation. Will they still be considered loyal? Will their manager feel forced to make concessions and be bitter as a result? How will this effect career development prospects? Has anything really changed?

Accepting a counter-offer does not only have an effect on professional development opportunities within the company, but may also cause ill feelings on the part of the company originating the offer, as well as with the recruiter. Recruiters lose face when candidates pull out of accepted engagements at the last minute. This can affect an employee’s reputation in the marketplace and future access to new opportunities.

By seeing a counter-offer as a tool of manipulation, employees see through the machinations of an employer that is desperate to keep their costs in line. Praise, development, accommodation, rewards and bonuses are given during an employee’s tenure with an organization and not because of resignation. Employees who interpret a counter-offer as praise are missing important career development opportunities, negatively affecting their future with their present employer and potentially compromising their job opportunities in the future.

To avoid this dilemma, be clear about your reasons for seeking alternative employment in the first place. Expect a counter-offer and be determined to turn it down, regardless of the salary. Be proud of yourself for making employment decisions in a calm and logical manner, looking out for your own personal development opportunities and career growth. No one else will, nor will they start to simply because of your decision to leave.

Advice on Re-recruiting Key Team Members

Bosses should always assume that their best employees are getting calls and offers from their competitors. Bosses should think of retention as re-recruiting their work force. This means applying the strategies and tools of external recruiting to current employees. It means proactively reaching out to top talent on a regular and ongoing basis. Top talent must continually be challenged to keep them.

The answers to the following questions can often determine whether or not they will stay on their jobs:

1. If you could make any changes about your job, what would they be?
2. What things about your job do you want to stay as they are?
3. If you could go back to any previous position and stay for an extended period of time, which one would it be and why?
4. If you suddenly became financially independent, what would you miss most about your job?
5. In the morning, does your job make you jump out of bed or hit the snooze button?
6. What makes for a great day?
7. What can we do to make your job more satisfying?
8. What can we do to support your career goals?
9. Do you get enough recognition?
10. What can we do to keep you with us?

Although they can be useful at review time, these questions don't have to be asked in a formal session. Bosses are encouraged to schedule time when they can introduce these topics in an informal manner - over a cup of coffee or lunch, for instance. The key to success is promptly addressing issues that could lead to losing a key member of the team, or making sure that the employee has a full understanding of situations that cannot be easily changed. Using this technique can actually enhance communication between managers and their employees.

Source: MRINetwork
Ten Questions the Boss Should Ask Every Employee
Thursday August 9, 9:00 am ET MRINetwork(TM)

Job Hunters Hire Experts to Clean-up Online Image

Job hunters perfecting their resumes for that dream job are being urged to also polish their online profile -- and clean it up if needs be, with a new breed of companies emerging to help mold Internet images.

Recruitment experts advise job hunters to Google themselves before stepping out into the competitive job market to see if a search pull ups that blog entry written about legalizing marijuana or drunken party photos with friends.

"The internet brings a new dimension to the application process. Sometimes it can work to your advantage, and sometimes to your disadvantage," employment Web site Careerbuilder.com spokeswoman Jennifer Sullivan told Reuters.

Various surveys have shown that employers are using online searches to check out potential candidates -- especially as some of the early Internet surfers become bosses themselves.

A study of 1,150 hiring managers by Careerbuilder.com found 26 percent of managers admitted to using search engines such as Google and 12 percent of managers said they used social networking sites like Facebook.com in their hiring process.

Those numbers may be low, but not the repercussions.

Of the 12 percent who checked social networking sites, 63 percent declined to hire an applicant based on what they found, citing lying about qualifications and criminal behavior as two of the top disqualifiers.

But with hiring managers and job seekers using new and different ways to stay one step ahead of each other, new technology has emerged to help both sides of the game.

For $10 a month, ReputationDefender.com will search your name everywhere -- even "beyond Google" -- including password-protected sites, and give a report of their findings.

For about $30 a month, clients can have them do a clean-up, which involves ensuring all links to, for example, a college kegstand on Facebook.com or a disparaging blog entry from a former partner, will not appear during an online search.

"More than half of my clients use us just to search and don't even ask us to clean anything up," the company's chief executive and founder Michael Fertik, 28, told Reuters.

Fertik, a graduate from Harvard Law School, said it's important for everyone to know how they're perceived online.

"Often pictures that are intrinsically innocuous get taken out of context, and then can become punitive," said Fertik.

PROS AND CONS TO ONLINE PROFILES

While ReputationDefender.com caters to individuals not employers, DefendMyName.com services both camps.

The two-year-old Portland, Maine-based company, a division of QED Media Group LLC, will conduct an online clean-up for any size client, from individuals to large corporations. Some clients are companies seeking positive brand image online.

Using proprietary technology, company founder Rob Russo said DefendMyName creates links to promotional sites and blogs on clients in order to bury negative search engine results.

"Online searching has taken on an essential role in the corporate world when people are scouting new employees. It is becoming an actual part of the hiring process along with a criminal background check," Russo told Reuters.

But it is not always to job seekers disadvantage that potential employers can check them out online.

The Careerbuilder.com study found 64 percent of hiring mangers had their hiring decision confirmed by information found online and 40 percent of managers said their decision was solidified by seeing that a candidate was "well rounded" and showed a wide range of interests."

Beth Murphy, an advertising assistant in New York, whose boss admitted to searching her profile on Facebook.com, said being scoped out online helped her land the job.

"In seeing my Facebook profile, they thought I seemed like a well-rounded person. They saw pictures of me doing service work in Africa immediately followed by pictures of me hanging out at a football tailgate," she told Reuters.

By Stephanie Bagley
Mon Aug 6, 8:33 AM ET

Six Must-Ask Interview Questions

Interviewing can be a gut-wrenching process. Most books on how to interview list hundreds of questions you need to be ready to answer, but few talk about the questions you need to ask.

Take more control at your next interview by asking some pointed questions of your own. Here are six must-ask questions and why you should know the answers.

1. What happened to the person who previously did this job? (If a new position: How has this job been performed in the past?)

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know any problems or past history associated with this position. For instance, was your predecessor fired, or was he promoted? Is this a temporary position or brand-new? The answer will tell you about management's expectations and how the company is gearing to grow.

2. Why did you choose to work here? What keeps you here?

Why You Need to Ask: Although you may like this company, you're an outsider. You need to find out what an insider has to say about working there. Who better to ask than your interviewer? This also forces the interviewer to step out of their official corporate role and answer personally as an employee and potential coworker.

3. What is the first problem the person you hire must attend to?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to be on the same page as your new manager, as well as be clear on what the initial expectations are and that you can deliver. What you don't want is to allow yourself to be misled about the job’s requirements and end up overwhelmed and over your head after the first week on the job.

4. What can you tell me about the individual to whom I would report?

Why You Need to Ask: It doesn't matter how wonderful the company might be; your time will be spent working for a specific manager. You need to find out who this person is and what kind of manager he is -- earlier rather than later, before personality clashes develop. If you're an independent type used to working through solutions on your own, for instance, you'll chafe when you find you're being supervised by a micromanager.

5. What are the company's five-year sales and profit projections?

Why You Need to Ask: You need to know about the future of the company you plan to spend several years of your life working for. It doesn't have to be this exact question. For example, you might want to ask about the company's future plans for new products and services or any planned market expansion. Of course, you've done your own research, but nothing can beat an insider’s observations and insights. This also shows you've done your homework and are serious about this company.

6. What's our next step?

Why You Need to Ask: This is your closing and the most important question to ask at the end of the interview. You need to know what happens after this point. Many books advise asking for the job now, but most people may feel too intimidated to bluntly do so. And with more candidates already scheduled for interviews, they're not likely to make you an offer yet. You may also need to do some additional research on the company, making it too early to ask for the job.

A good compromise: Take the lead and set a plan for follow-up. You'll also be able to gauge their enthusiasm when they answer. Don't forget to ask for your interviewer’s direct phone number and the best time to call.

What to Remember

As a job seeker, the key to a good interview is to find out as much about your potential employer as possible. Asking these six questions will not only make you appear more committed as a candidate, but will also give you better insight into both the challenges and opportunities that may lie ahead for you.

by Joe Turner
Monster Contributing Writer