In a recent interview with The New York Times, Daniel Lubetzky, CEO of the all-natural whole nut and fruit bar company, Kind, explained his philosophy behind firing people.
It’s the boss’ responsibility to make sure the employee is in the right role, he said, especially if you “took the time to hire them and to put them in that situation.”
To that end, here are five ways Lubetzky deals with poor performers and displays kindness, even when he’s showing employees the door.
Offer constructive criticism.
Lubetzky makes it a point to offer feedback long before a decision is made. Not only does this give the employee an opportunity to improve, but it helps the manager understand potential problems and where he or she may be falling short. “A lot of problems happen because the manager doesn’t address them, and then it’s too late,” he told The Times.
Implement your 30-day plan.
If an employee’s work still isn’t up to par, the next step would be to implement a 30-day to 60-day performance improvement plan. This enables the manager to track the worker’s productivity, her improvements, and problem areas. Be sure to set goals so you can hold the worker (and perhaps yourself) accountable and track what’s working.
Restructure his role.
If the plan doesn’t work, perhaps the role is to blame. “You should have done enough work during the hiring process to determine if the person has your values and your work ethic, but maybe the skill set is not aligned with their job,” Lubetzky said. If that’s the case, see if you can find them a different role.
Transition them out.
If all else has failed, it’s time to find “an elegant way for them to transition out,” Lubetzky said. As you decrease their workload, it may be fair to let them hunt for another job while they’re gainly employed.
Leave security out of it.
Lubetzky never has security guards usher an employee out the office when they’re terminated. In extreme circumstances that may be necessary, but mostly he finds it insulting and a relic of a bygone corporate era.
via Kind Snacks’ CEO on Firing People | Inc.com.
Kind Snacks" CEO on Firing People
