copyright © 2007, by Karyn Greenstreet. All
rights reserved.
There must be
something in the air. Three of my clients called me this
week to talk about firing an employee or subcontractor.
One client asked me, "Can you please write an article
about this so I know what to do?" And thus this
article was born.
We hire people to
help us grow and run our small business: assistants and virtual
assistants, website designers and graphic artists, copywriters,
coaches and consultants, and bookkeepers. But what do you do
when their work isn't up to par or they are constantly missing
their deadlines?
These issues can lead to other problems, so even if they seem
small they can blow up on you in the future. Your reputation
relies on the quality of the work you do and all the people who
you hire need to have the same level of excellence. If you
demand it of yourself, demand it of your employees and
subcontractors.
Terminating an employee or subcontractor is never easy, but it
helps to know why and how to do it. With this checklist, you
should be able to get through it with grace and confidence.
Determine Why You Are Firing Them
There are many reasons to fire someone who works for you. It
helps if you have clarity about why you are letting them go.
Write a list of things that aren't going well and be specific.
Here are some examples:
-
They're
making too many mistakes.
-
There are too
many typos and grammar errors in the work they give you.
-
They don't
reply to your emails and phone calls in a timely manner.
-
They don't
abide by the terms of a written contract or oral agreement.
-
They
overcharge you.
-
They do
things without your permission that have a strong negative
impact on your business or reputation.
-
They don't
get work done on time or ignore work they don't want to do.
-
They treat
others poorly, including co-workers, colleagues and clients.
-
They don't
have the skill to do the job, even though they told you they
did.
If you have a written contract with the person, read it in
advance and make sure you understand that terms of the agreement
when it comes to ending the contract.
Finally, before you fire them, protect yourself by changing your
passwords (and if necessary, credit card numbers), or any other
personal information they have access to. This includes
passwords to your hosting company, domain registrar, shopping
cart, banking accounts, etc. Make sure you have a copy of all
paper documents and electronic files (such as website files,
Quickbook files, Word documents, etc.) before you fire them -
you may not get them afterward without a fight. If the person
has a key to your home or office, consider having your door
locks re-keyed by a professional locksmith. While most
people will respond with dignity, there may be some who will
want revenge. Forewarned is forearmed.
If you don’t think you have time to document all this, ask
yourself: Do you really have time to constantly be fixing their
mistakes or trying to get them to communicate with you? Don't
let this process drag on; once you have sufficient reason, fire
them.
The Big Breakup
Plan a time to speak with your employee or subcontractor when
you won't be disturbed. While uncomfortable, it is better to do
this in person if at all possible. Otherwise, use the phone. Do
not terminate someone via email or instant messenger.
Here are some pointers to consider:
-
Be clear
about exactly what's wrong. Give examples.
-
Identify the
times you asked them to change their work or their behavior.
Remind them that you've spoken to them previously about what
was not working for you.
-
Tell them how
you expect things to be.
-
Be clear and
professional.
-
Do not get
sucked into their emotional reaction. Some people may cry,
shout or give you the silent treatment. Some people don't
handle rejection well even though you've spoken to them
before about being dissatisfied with their work. Allow them
to have their reaction without you participating in their
emotions.
-
Don't give in
and re-hire them. Some people will beg -- or worse threaten
-- to get their job back. Be firm and keep saying No.
After the Breakup
Now is the time to begin considering how you will replace the
person you just fired. First, write up a job description,
listing all the tasks they did for you. Also write up a list of
qualities you expect from the person: accuracy, timeliness, open
communication. Include in this list the skills they must possess
in order to do the job.
Next, document your normal procedures so that the new person
knows how things are done. This will reduce the amount of
training time and get the new person up to speed quickly.
In the future confront every task poorly done, every
miscommunication, every job avoided when it happens. Don't
procrastinate hoping they'll fix it themselves. If you're lucky,
these immediate comments about their work will forestall having
to fire them in the future. At the very least, they won't be
surprised when they are fired.
Finally, sit back and relax. You've done a good job in handling
a tough situation and you need time to process your own thoughts
before moving on with your day.
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