Let go of underperforming staff: You’ve got to be cruel to be kind

Some of the biggest problems, particularly for small businesses, is under-performing employees.

One of the hardest things to do is firing an employee, even if it is due to their poor performance.

At face value, it can seem quite cruel and cold-hearted and it’s even more difficult that this person is your mate, your buddy.

When you have to face this situation, it’s like you’re choosing to lose a friend because at one point, was the bloodline of your business and been through the good and bad times with you.

The amount of guilt that you fear will cause you to shy away from the difficult conversation because you’re not even sure how to bring up the subject.

More so, great people are hard to find and when you let him go, you worry you might be taken to court for an unfair dismissal.

All these factors often make many business owners sweep things under the carpet and continue to retain the under-performing staff member(s) that will result in lacklustre results or even a drop in business performance.

This will stress you out more and it will affect your mood that will in turn have a negative impact on your whole team and even your home life.

Leadership is all about bringing the best out of your employees and understanding where you can help.

In some cases, the only way to help is to go your separate ways with an employee and here’s how to minimise the guilt trip by recognising that…

It’s Good for Your Business

Under-performing employees are a detriment to your business. If you have good team management, you should be able to pick out the under-performing employee and discuss the situation with them. 

Under-performers can seriously damage productivity and profitability A poor morale and team culture in the workplace is a sure-fire way to failure, and the best way to change that is to remove the perpetrator.

It’s Good for the Employee

If you consider the possible plight of your under-performing employee, it is most likely that they are unhappy during working hours.

There could be a plethora of reasons for this, such as not enjoying the work. The crux of the issue is that they are not doing well in their job, and this can damage their confidence a great deal, leading to being overly unhappy.

It is a form of kindness to offer a way out for these employees. In some cases, it might just be a case of parting ways and providing an honest, but positive, reference.

Depending on the situation, you can keep them in the business, but have them work elsewhere in a more suitable role. Ultimately, though, the opportunity to do better in a new environment is beneficial to your under-performing employee.

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Building a successful business involves knowing what works and what doesn’t — and who.

Do not be afraid to let under-performing staff go, having them stay is bad for you and them.

Firing someone is rarely easy, but sometimes it is the only act of kindness that you can offer in a bad situation.

Rob Kropp

Founder - Pravar Group