Leadership: Firing the “Marginal” Employee

by Mary Beth Matteo, Founding Director of the S. Dale High Center

Most of us have had to fire employees. We consider ourselves lucky when the case is clear cut: an employee commits an illegal act or exhibits egregious behavior that cannot be tolerated.

But most cases where firing is required are much more difficult. Any of the following lies in a gray area that frequently makes us put off the decision or avoid it altogether. A loyal, long-time employee who has contributed to the organization but can no longer make the grade. A family member who is not up to the task. A high achiever who creates dissention in the company. A well-liked employee who is coasting. The list goes on.

There are no simple answers to these cases but good leadership requires that we first focus on the organization and its people. No matter how nice, or well-liked, or loyal an employee has been, his or her failure affects everyone. It brings down morale. It destroys the idea of meritocracy. And most important: it requires other employees to pick up the slack. Favoring one person punishes the rest. When we focus on the rest, the decision becomes easier.

We know the options:
• Counsel the person out and assist him or her in a job search; or
• Move the person to another job in the organization to which he or she is more suited

And, lastly, don’t forget: you need a paper trail that documents the employee’s failure. This is one of the biggest mistakes we make. Especially with a likeable employee, or employee who seems to be trying, we tend to slide him a break with a decent evaluation. Needless to say, this will cause enormous problems down the road!

Sum and Substance: Being a good leader means making tough decisions in the best interest of the company. As the old adage goes, one bad apple spoils the bunch. A problem employee can be a bad apple who must be removed in order for the business system to thrive.