If you’re like many managers, you’re genuinely invested in your employees. You want them to do well. You’re committed to helping them improve. But what happens when you run into an employee who can’t or won’t accept coaching? What if that person is bringing the whole team down? Here are some signs that it may be time to let go of an employee.
Major Transgressions
Workplaces have to have a zero-tolerance policy for certain unforgivable behaviors. Your corporate policies and the type of workplace will determine exactly what these are, but they often include offenses such as carrying a weapon on the floor, stealing, or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In short, anyone who is an active danger to himself, other employees, or the overall wellbeing of the worksite is someone who shouldn’t be there.
Serial Offenders
Maybe you have a chronic rulebreaker on your team. None of the offenses are necessarily serious enough to warrant firing on their own, but the employee seems undeterred by coaching or disciplinary action. If someone simply refuses to follow the rules, does it really make sense to keep her on the team?
Poor Team Members
You might have an employee who does excellent work on his own, but he seems completely unable to get along with anyone around him. Maybe he bullies his coworkers, or maybe he’s a drama queen who pits coworkers against each other. Either way, unless you can find a way to completely isolate the person from everyone else, it’s not worth the hit to overall employee morale.
Productivity Issues
It’s not fair to judge a new employee against people who have been on the job for a long time. Mentoring, using the buddy system, and keeping the lines of communication open are all great ways to help a new team member come up to speed. Over time, most new employees become comfortable with the job and start to pull their own weight. But what happens when someone doesn’t improve? If you’ve tried several different ways to boost productivity, and the employee simply isn’t catching on, it might be time to replace her with someone else.
It’s not easy to make the decision to let go of an employee, but it’s something nearly every employer eventually faces. Once you’ve made the decision, make it clear, quick, and final, and be sure to document everything. Complete all needed paperwork ahead of time, and be sure the terminated worker understands his rights. It’s not fun for anyone, but a quick, clean break helps both you and your former employee move on.
If you’re ready for some new talent, contact Pro Resources today.