When You Should Consider Letting an Employee Go

Being in charge of the hiring and firing of employees is tough. It’s never easy to fire someone, especially when your company prides itself on having an environment of trust and ease. But sometimes it can’t be avoided. If you’re not sure if you’re ready to make the move, here are five signs that it’s time.

You start sensing that an employee is disappearing
If one of your employees seems to be taking several vacation days, spread out over a couple of weeks, or is taking extra-long lunch breaks—especially if he or she is dressing differently than the norm—it could mean they’re already scouting out new employment. Or, they could just be shirking their duties, taking time away from work to avoid certain responsibilities.. Either way, you have an employee who acts as if he’s above and beyond the job, or already halfway out the door.

You notice declining productivity

Sure, sometimes a staff member can be overloaded with work or overwhelmed by a personal problem. But when a drop in production occurs for no apparent reason, keep an eye on the employee in question. If she seems to be spending more time with her eyes in places other than her work, bring her in for a chat. If the employee denies your claims or makes lame excuses for her slacking, it’s time to make a move.

You’re getting customer and vendor complaints.
If your customers or vendors are expressing dissatisfaction on a regular basis as a result of an employee’s work or behavior, you need to seriously consider whether to keep this person on board. Unless you think that a combination of training, feedback, mentorship or a formal performance improvement plan will help, it’s probably best to terminate the relationship.

You’re seeing or hearing about a lot of arguments
If you have someone on your team who seems to blow their stack regularly, or who frequently argues with you, other management, fellow employees, or clients, it’s a very good sign that it’s time for that employee to go. Yes, some argumentative employees are just passionate about their jobs, and they might be reined in with a conference or two, but most of them are just tired of their jobs and are arguing to release unhappiness and aggression.

You notice that someone likes to stir the pot

If you have an employee who is causing trouble, whether by spreading rumors or by setting employees against one another, you have to deal with that person quickly or run the risk of major upheaval in your department/company.

If one of the reasons you are hesitant to fire a troubling employee is because of the time and cost of replacing him, give Triumph Staffing a call. We’d be happy to share our flexible hiring options with you.