FIRING OF AN EMPLOYEE - Firing Employee

Hi everybody,

Firing of an employee when I say, the employee could be an ordinary worker, a staff , a middle management staff or even a senior management staff. Though being in HR, our views, assessment may differ from that of the Management, we are made to execute the management's decision of firing an employee.

Well friends, what do you say on this hiring and firing? Do you think this will serve the purpose? Don't you feel let down when you or through you, an employee is fired? Don't you think you had invested your time and energy in going through his credentials, speaking to him, probing him through your questions, tried to find out his credentials through your own known channels and contacts and after sometime, that person is believed to have become a burden to the organisation and he is fired through you because you are an HR person!!

I think this is there in any organisation, please correct me friends if I am wrong! Being an HR professional is this what we are supposed to do? Can we not change this?? I want you all to put on your thinking caps, comeout with your views, suggestions and comments. I want this to be an useful discussion.

-Srinaren

Hi!

Before an employee is hired, the company spends a lot of time and cost in acquiring the right person for the right job.

In my opinion, at a personal level, I would take extra care before finalizing the right candidate.

However, if after sometime I find that the employee is really not suited. I would try to re-evaluate him and find out the real problem.

It could vary from not having sufficient practical exposure, not being able to relate to the new job, improper induction, a bad boss, force fitting a candidate, poor work environment, medical issues, family issues,a case of promises/ expectations not being met, etc. Depending on the real problem I would take steps to address it .(Counselling, grievance handling, problem solving, re-culturizing, reinducting, training, etc the employee)

Despite applying these interventions if there is no improvement in the employee, as a last resort the employee will have to be fired.

But one must remember that union issues, if any, cannot be ignored.

Ultimately, one must remember that

"One bad apple spoils the bunch".

Hence precedents must be set.

Regards,

Shyamali

Every Organisation is like a Society. To be a member in a given society, whether you like it or not, you ought to follow their rules & regulations. Like every citizen is expected to adhere to the rules & regulations of one's country. Hence if an organisation expect a HR personnel to act as per their decision on any given issue, despite clarifying the merits of your opinion, you have to adhere to the decision of the Management. Is there any other choice ? But, I can safely vouch for that no management would insist firing of an employee just for the heck of it.

To feel good or bad on executing an assignment, is personal. To do that assignment in a good or bad manner is what matters. That is practical. Baghava'd Gitas - Do your duty - preaches this attitude only.

There is a general feeling that HR means being only good to people. That can be a personal goal to practice in one's one life. In any organisation, HR is to do good to the Organisation. In the process, you may come across conflicting sentiments. To an organisaton, employees are resources to meet their objective. Hence the function Human Resource Management. How best the HR department create a culture for Recruitement, training, retention etc is what matters to any organisation. That's why your job exists in any organisation.

So.. dont feel bad for taking a tough decision and executing it. DO IT in the right way.

Dear Srinaren
I can understand your dilema. However, as righlty pointed out by my friends, when it comes to the business requirement, I think personal feelings and emotions are kept aside.
Truly said, no organization will just chuck out people for fun. There has to be solid reasons to do so. At times, the reasons are also not supported to take such drastic action.
You will appreciate that Line Managers would not like to earn bad reputation by chucking out people since he has to get the work done from other employees. So HR become the scapegoat.
If I am correct, only the communication part has to be handled by HR, decision for which are normally taken by the Line Managers.
I feel, if we organize our communication process such a way that at one end the employee more or less understand the reasons and you also do not feel the burden.
If this is not so then how the companies are effecting CRS and VRS ?
I feel I am able to make my points clear.
Regards
K Narayan
09860428364