There are a variety of words and phrases for letting an employee go from a company– firing, termination, layoff,  downsizing, rightsizing, ending employment, letting someone go, giving the axe etc.   Whatever we want to call it, letting an employee go is one of the most difficult things that managers have to do as part of their roles.

Unfortunately, this dreaded part of the job became even more commonplace during the recession.  The manager may not have even had a say in who was let go and who stayed.

In order to make the process easier on themselves, many managers approach the situation with stone-faced stoicism so that they don’t appear emotional or willing to change their minds.  I completely understand why they use this approach.  After all, managers are human and it’s difficult to be the bearer of bad news, especially when they spend so much time with their employees and know them on a personal as well as a professional level.

However, this process does not have to be as uncomfortable as people have made it out to be.  Sure, it may never be pleasant and exciting, but there are steps managers can take to make it less painful on themselves and their employees.

If the manager has compassion for the other person, it will help make this process better for the employee.  I had a manager who lacked compassion and acted overjoyed when she fired an employee.  She skipped over to the woman’s desk and started gathering up her things for her as the employee watched in utter disbelief.  This situation took place in an area with a sea of desks, causing other employees to witness the event.  That manager was asked to leave a while later herself.

I’ve provided some steps to help compassionately let an employee go.   If you are unsure about how this will fit in with your company’s culture and process, make sure to discuss your approach beforehand with your manager and your Human Resources representative.

Compassionately Letting an Employee Go:

-Be prepared before the conversation

-Stand up when they enter your office to show respect while you show them the chair to sit in

-Address the person by his/her name

-Make sure your body language shows that you are comfortable, yet sympathetic

-Your tone should be calm and not commanding

– If the employee starts getting emotional, don’t talk over them.  Instead pause and give the person a chance to calm down

-Tell them that they have many great talents and now that they will have the opportunity to go after their goals

– If the person starts asking “why me” questions, don’t get caught in an argument about why the person is being let go.  Instead, let the person know that you understand that this is a difficult situation and then jump into explaining the severance package (if there is one).

-If a severance package is being supplied, take the time to fully explain it.  Also, explain what the employee must do in order to accept the package and let them know that they can show it to an attorney if they desire.

-Many times the person is feeling a range of emotions and may not fully comprehend the severance package explanation,  so it is important to tell the employee to feel free to call you (or the HR person or company legal department, depending on company policy) with any questions.  Then give the person a card with the contact information listed (you will have to get this from the appropriate contact if you need to refer them to Human Resources or Legal).

-Thank the person for their work at the company and wish them luck in their future endeavors (change the wording to make it sound sincere from you).

-Afterwards, assess what you did well in the situation and what you can improve on for next time.

For more information, check out the book:

Great Employees Only:  How Gifted Bosses Hire and De-Hire Their Way to Success by Dale Dauten