Is it time to say goodbye to a long term employee?

Saying goodbye to a long term employee is one of the most difficult decisions you’ll make as a business owner. You will wonder if you’re making the right decision and will second guess yourself as it comes time to let this person go. There are a few key questions you can ask that can help you make this decision and focusing on these items will assist you in finding peace in your decision.

Are your visions aligned?

You know what the vision and mission of the business is. Your employee knew when they joined the team too. Has your vision changed or taken a different direction? Ask yourself–is the employee’s vision aligned with the mission of the company? If you’re struggling to determine the answer to that, consider this. Have you noticed a significant decline in the quality of this person’s work? Maybe they are rushing through their task list, or maybe they are delivering work that is not fully complete or is missing portions of the required work. If you’re constantly at odds with this employee, a misaligned vision could be the culprit too. Is this person constantly repeating the same concerns that they have or disagreeing with the course of action at work? If any of these questions hold true, the employee’s vision may not be aligned with that of the company anymore. It happens, people grow and change and sometimes it’s just time to say goodbye when you’re not working toward a common vision anymore.

What are the alternatives to firing this person?

When you address the concerns you have regarding this employee’s work, and the concerns they have about their current position, is there something that you can change? Maybe this employee has outgrown their current position, or maybe he/she is feeling stuck in the position. If there is a way to solve the issues you are having with an employee in house, that is always a good solution. Present the in house options to the problem you and your employee are facing and see what their reaction is.

What is the best call for the company?

At the end of the day, the company needs to be your priority. If you have negotiated with the employee you are struggling with and tried to rectify the situation, you need to look at what’s best for the company. Paying an underperforming employee or someone that is always delivering less than your standard of quality is not supportive of business growth. In this situation, you are always better off to let someone go and replace them with a fresh-faced, motivated person that can help the business grow and flourish.

Having honest conversations with your unhappy employees is one of the best ways you can handle these situations. You need to provide a safe space for them to communicate their needs, frustrations and desires in a safe and non-judgemental space.  You also need to supply them with all of the tools, advancement, and training they need to become better at their work. If it turns out after exploring all of these options that there just isn’t a good fit anymore maybe it is better to part ways. After all it isn’t personal and you want both you and your underperforming employee to have the best possible work life they can, even if that means that it is working for someone else.