Dos and Donts of Firing a Friend

Dos and Donts of Firing a FriendDos and Donts of Firing a FriendFiring an employee is one of the most difficult responsibilities of being in management. Its even more unpleasant when the person is a workplace friend.If you find yourself in that awkward situation as a finance and accounting manager with friendships at work, keep in mind these ways of doing it right - and wrong.DONT shy away from your responsibilitiesPerformance reviews and disciplinary meetings can be a problem employees last chance to turn things around, or the first stage of the firing process. It may be difficult to speak with a workplace friend you believe is falling short on the job. But even toxic employees would get warnings about poor behavior and low performance, and your friend deserves the same courtesy. Otherwise, you dont give your friend the chance to improve, and you risk firing him or her unfairly, which could lead to resentment - and possibly litigation.DO hold a formal meetingYoure the boss. In all other settings, you may be a friend. But when breaking the news about a job loss, you must maintain the employer-employee relationship. Follow normal protocol by holding a meeting, and invite the HR manager to be an impartial witness. This approach will keep things professional. If the employee is being fired for performance failings, have your employees file on hand to discuss the cause of termination.DONT be casualFiring anyone is a serious situation, so treat it as such. Dont try to put a friendly spin on things, and dont use humor. If you approach the meeting with a casual manner, your friend may bedrngnis fully understand the consequences - or may be upset that youre not taking the job loss seriously. Plan what youre going to say in advance, and perhaps even practice it a few times. Then get to your point quickly once the meeting starts.Start by explaining the reasons for your decision, whether its downsizing or performance. Outline any help thats available when searching for new work, including references and severance packages. But be genuine, and dont make promises you cant keep. Expect this to be an emotional moment for your friend, who might not be able to take in many details. So stick to the basics, and offer to answer questions now or in the future.DONT get somebody else to do itFiring a friend will almost certainly cause you sleepless nights, but making difficult decisions are part of an accounting managers job description. If you ask someone else to take over your hard choices, youll likely lose the respect of your friend and other members of your team.DO offer to keep in touchIts OK to get back in touch with fired friends outside the office, but they may not want to maintain contact. Thats something youll have to accept. Try emailing from your personal account a few days after your final meeting and say youre sorry things turned out the way they did. Explain that youd like to keep in touch, and then hope the feeling is mutual.No accounting ma nager wants to be in a position of firing anyone, much less a friend. But letting go of team members is an unavoidable part of succeeding in business. It can be painful, but always stay professional, and do your best to handle the situation with grace, not guilt. Subscribe to our newsletterWhen you subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter, youll get articles and resources to help you build and manage a winning accounting and finance team - all sent directly to your inbox. Click the button below to sign up todaySUBSCRIBE NOW