Firing
What You'll Learn
Managing Underperformance
When and Why to Fire
How to Fire
Managing Underperformance
The Best Approach to the Worst Conversation: "You're Fired"Michael explains how managers need to take responsibility for employee performance and tackle it head-on, including when performance improvement plans (PIPs) and/or firing is needed.
GitLab's Process for Underperformance and Performance Improvement PlansGitLab's process guide explains who to discuss underperformance with, how to coach, and how to execute a performance improvement plan, including tying the PIP to company values.
When and Why to Fire
It’s Never Too Early to FireLars provides advice on how to listen to your gut that someone needs to go, and also provides explicit things to watch out for: broken trust; Avoidance, false bravado, and political posturing; and lack of investment or enthusiasm in their projects.
Values-based FiringGokul explains how there are three types of reasons to fire someone: performance, policy violation, or values violation.Values-based firings are the least common, but are needed to reinforce company values.
How to Fire
Firing WellWhen an employee needs to be fired, John recommends giving them time to find a new job (which requires trusting them), and to be honest with them about why things didn't work out, noting what they did well, and be clear with communication to people they work with so that no one is left guessing.
How to Fire Employees With Empathy and KindnessSimilar to John, Gary explains how to fire with empathy and kindness by not letting firing be a surprise, help them get another job, and be willing to work with them on the narrative to the rest of the team.
- GitLab's Voluntary and Involuntary Termination Processes
This is an extremely detailed firing procedure, including how to create a private slack channel with HR, coordinate the termination date, figure out if a separation and release of claims agreement is necessary, etc.
