Being in management means constantly making decisions, most of these do not have much impact but sometimes you have to make big decisions that really affect people’s lives.

Today we let one of our new developers go after their three month probation period, it was a really tough decision and even harder having to tell him the bad news.

With all the lost jobs you read about at the moment, it is hard to humanise until you have to actually give someone the bad news.

This was a balanced, business decision, but it is also an emotional one as it affects a real person.

I used the following criteria to determine whether to keep someone in the team:

1. Do they have the skills to match the position they were hired for?
2. What is their contribution and impact to the existing team?
3. Are they hungry and eager to learn?
4. Do they give excuses or get the job done?
5. How much progress have they made since they arrived?
6. Are they good listeners and communicators?

If you have the unenviable task of having to make someone redundant or terminate someone’s contract, this is my advice:

1. Be well prepared; make sure you know what you are going to say in advance
2. Be polite, measured and thank them for their contribution
3. Make sure you give an honest account of why they are not suitable, it might be hard to hear, but if you are honest it gives them something to work on in the future
4. Have a witness in the room to take minutes of the meeting
5. If you can afford it pay them for at least a month after they leave
6. Do it at the end of the day preferably just after closing hours, that way most people will have left the office after the person comes out of the meeting
7. Hold a meeting to explain the decision and re-assure the remaining team first thing the following day

If you do have to let someone go, I do not envy you it is not a nice thing to do, but hopefully these points may help you a bit.

Related posts:

1. A Client Management Masterclass

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