I have to lay off one of two people
I have to lay off one of two people. One is extremely adept; the other is less so, but has a family. What do I do?
answer:
Keep the better employee. Empathy is an important leadership quality, but your emotions should never interfere with acting in the company’s best interest. “Think about the message you’d be sending to your staff if you fired the guy who’s doing the better job,” says Bill Pullen, president of Pullen and Associates, an executive coaching and organizational development consulting firm in Washington, D.C. “You should be creating incentives for hard workers, not for those who use family as an excuse for subpar performance,” he adds.
It’s also important that you make the process as quick and painless as possible—both for the family man’s peace of mind and your own PR among the remaining employees. Explain that the company, is downsizing and that his termination is based on that fact alone.
Then outline the assistance and resources your company will provide to aid his transition—severance and outplacement services, for example. That, however, should be the extent of your conversation. Stray too far from this script and “you risk being emotionally hijacked by your employee’s response, which can lead you to making promises you can’t keep,” says Pullen. Finally, deliver the pink slip on Monday, not Friday. “The workweek can be emotionally draining,” says Pullen. “He’ll be better equipped to handle the news early in the week, when he still has energy to draw upon.”
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