It's interesting, isn't it, that the verb 'to fire' and the noun 'firing' are from the same 'family' as 'holiday' yet these two words are in completely different spheres. While we enjoy our holidays, no one enjoys being fired, neither the one who has to do it nor the one who has to leave.
I chose to talk about this topic in this week's newsletter, especially with entrepreneurs and managers in mind, because we find ourselves in a context that the world calls a recession. And yes, it is a recession (I'll make a brief parenthesis here – the recession is a natural economic cycle. I don't know why it scares us so much because we should know it's coming and prepare for it during the boom period).
I subscribe to what I read in Răzvan Căzănescu's newsletter, that it is unethical for companies to resort to massivelayoffs during recession periods. Firing should be a fair instrument for both parties.
To be fair to both sides,, it starts with a proper and ethical presentation of responsibilities and continues with the evaluation process.
How many of us, as entrepreneurs or department managers, conduct evaluations as we should?
We evaluate our employees once a year, at the beginning of the year, for the previous year, and we don't always use tools to score aspects that employees should consider and provide concrete examples for evaluation.
Probably even fewer of us are accustomed to evaluating employees periodically. Doing so quarterly for long-time employees and those in the trial period, every two weeks, and then, after the trial period, monthly for the following three months.
We don't do this, and it's evident that every employee, being a human being, lives in their perception of their work. Without objectives, responsibilities, and periodic evaluations, they don't know if they are performing well. Perhaps they occasionally receive a pat on the back from us or a "good job so far," feel had of their impression that everything is going well.
We don't evaluate results.Instead, we focus on behaviours, attitudes, or what we think might be a a result. When we finally analyze the company's results from a impartial perspective, looking at the numbers, we then assess the employee's performance and how indispensable they are to the company.
I reiterate what Răzvan Căzănescu says, that it'snot ethical to resort to layoffs only when the turnover drops. We need to conduct continuous evaluations and dare to let go of someone who is not meeting their goals as soon as possible because it is better for both the company and the individual.
I looked up the origin of the word 'firing.' It comes from French, and essentially,this action of firing implies a context in which both parties know that things are not going well enough for the person to remain in the company.
So, the newsletter about firing practically transforms into a newsletter about evaluation, and that seems fair to me.
I believe that if employees could see from constant evaluations that they are not meeting their goals, they might view firing as a harsh moment when they are confronted with the mirror and take a break from the responsibilities that have become a burden. However, most of the time, firing happens suddenly without periodic evaluations, and the employee experiences shock and suffering too great to see the positive aspects.
If there's one thing, I encourage you to do in a situation where, although I wouldn't want it to happen to you, you find yourself being fired, it is to first deal with the emotions you will undoubtedly feel in that moment AND NOT MAKE DECISIONS RIGHT AWAY. Afterwards, no matter how strange or sadistic it may seem, I invite you to put it on paper:
a. the benefits you can derive personally and/or professionally from the fact that you were fired;
b. the disadvantages if you were to continue working at the job from which you were fired.
It's important to have this balanced view so you can figure out how to evaluate and move past this tough moment.
EN 
RO