You Will Need To Fire Staff At Some Point, Here Are 6 Steps To Fire People Gracefully.

The life of an entrepreneur is filled with decisions. While some of these decisions are very pleasant to make, others are not. As a fashion business expands, there is often a need to hire the essential staff to fill various staff in the business and keep them on for long. 

But, while every fashion entrepreneur hopes to build their dream team by hiring the right staff and never having to fire anyone, more often than not, this is not the case. 

There are many reasons for which you might want to fire an employee from your fashion business. The reasons could range from poor performance levels to bad work ethics, bad behaviour, company policy violations, lack of team spirit, and even to them being a bad influence on the other employees. 

Whatever the reason is, there is a right way to fire an employee to ensure minimal damage. Here is a step-by-step guide to firing an employee the right way;

Step-By-Step Guide To Firing An Employee The Right Way

1. Give Them Prior Warning

Nothing is more shocking for an employee than getting fired without prior warning. It is even worse when nothing has ever been said to indicate that they were doing something wrong.

Never fire an employee without first letting them know you are not happy about their performance. 

Sit the employee down in your office, explain that you are unhappy with their performance, and give them a limited time to change. Make it clear that if things do not change you might need to terminate their employment immediately. 

Make sure to explain clearly to the employee the reason their job is in danger so they are not left guessing as to why you are unhappy with their performance.

2. Set Up a Meeting with the Employee

If after you have warned the employee weeks or months ahead and you see no improvement in them, the next step is to set up a termination meeting with the employee.

Firing an employee is best done face-to-face in a private setting with a witness present. Schedule a meeting with the employee behind closed doors where you can let them know about the termination.

Having the meeting in your office or a private setting allows you to set a serious but supportive tone and present everything the employee will need to know about their termination. It will also help the employee feel like they have their dignity still intact.

Consider firing the employee after your other employees leave. That way, the terminated employee does not have to leave the office in front of their co-workers. If you, however, feel like the employee might become aggressive upon hearing the news of their termination, have other people around. 

3. Go Straight to the Point

In firing an employee, go straight to the point and never beat around the bush. Let them know from the second the meeting starts that you are letting them go. There is no need to discuss things about the weather, their family, or what was on the news the previous day as this will just make things harder.

When you start the meeting with other things, it makes the meeting somewhat unofficial and worse for the employee. You can start with something along the lines of, “I have some bad news for you. Today is your last day here.” This lets the employee know immediately that the meeting is a serious one. 

4. Be Clear and Concise

This point goes hand in hand with the previous point. In letting the employee know that he or she is being terminated, state the reasons for the termination clearly without going into much details about it. 

Always have specific examples and proper documentation that shows clearly and concisely what led up to the termination. Answer any question the employee has but do not go too in-depth into the reasons for the termination.

Also, never leave room for the employee to feel like the termination decision is still an ongoing process. Make it clear that the decision has been made. 

Always be firm and clear with the way you break the news to the employee so there is no room for doubt in his or her mind. Let them know details about collecting their last paycheck and any other unemployment benefits you might have for them. 

5. Show Compassion

Getting fired is emotional and traumatic for whoever is on the receiving end of the termination and so you must show compassion. If you believe the employee is a good person who has talents and abilities that are useful, offer to be helpful with their future endeavours to get a job. Let them know you will be happy to provide a reference or any such thing. 

Offer to walk the person to their desk to pick up their belongings and see them off, this shows your humanity and lets them know that you have empathy in you.

6. Communicate With the Rest of the Team

In many cases, you should talk to the other employees about the termination to check the spread of rumours. You do not have to divulge full details about the termination unless you want to send a strong message to other employees.

You should also assure the employees that the termination was for good reason and it was not because you are trying to cut the number of staff you have down. 

Firing an employee is never an easy task to do but it is nearly impossible to escape in business. Make sure to be prepared before going ahead with it.