Firing someone is never fun, but as a leader, it’s part of the job. You’ll face situations where keeping someone on board isn’t just a waste of payroll — it could have your entire team resenting you.
Here at The Metiss Group, we develop solutions that help our clients hold their team members accountable. When clients’ team members are consistently off track, we guide them through separation conversations.
There are three main reasons you might need to let someone go:
- They’re just not a good fit (bad hire).
- The role has outgrown them.
- The organization is shifting, and their position no longer makes sense.
Each situation requires a slightly different approach, but the goal remains the same: handle it with professionalism, fairness, and as much dignity as possible. Let’s discuss how to do it right.
Separation When An Employee Just Isn't a Good Fit
You know how sometimes you meet someone, and within minutes, you think, "This was a mistake"? Bad hires can feel like that, except instead of an awkward coffee date, you’ve got a full-time employee who isn’t cutting it.
Sometimes, you realize it within the first month. Other times, it takes years before it’s clear they’re not up to the job. If you have an accountability system in place (like a job scorecard or clear success metrics), you’ll spot the signs sooner. If they’re consistently missing expectations despite clear guidance and feedback, it’s time to take action.
Here’s the part I wish I could communicate with a giant, flashing, neon sign: the longer you let a bad hire stay on your team, the more damage you do — not just to the company but to the rest of your team.
- Your high performers will wonder why they’re working so hard when underperformance is tolerated.
- Resentment builds because the rest of the team has to pick up the slack.
- You, as a leader, lose credibility for not addressing the issue.
A lot of business owners think, A warm body is better than no body. Nope. A bad hire can tank team morale, kill productivity, and make good employees start looking for the exit.
How to Handle It
Speed matters. If you know they’re not the right fit, let them go before they build deep relationships in the organization. You don’t want them to feel blindsided, but you also don’t want to drag it out.
The most important thing is to allow them to leave with dignity. You can offer help with their resume, and you can allow them to decide how to communicate their separation with the team.
You should also be thoughtful about severance. In some states, severance pay may delay or reduce unemployment benefits. Instead, you could consider offering a bonus in exchange for a smooth transition.
Remember, you don’t want to give them cause to lash out. And someone doesn’t need a good cause to make a cause, such as legal targeting (legitimate or not). If they leave with respect, they’re less likely to badmouth you later — Glassdoor reviews, anyone?
Separation When the Role Outgrows the Employee
Let’s say you’ve got someone on your team who’s been with you forever. They were amazing when you were a scrappy startup, but now, the company’s grown, and they just haven’t kept up. Maybe they never prioritized their own development. Maybe you didn’t push them enough. Either way, they’re falling behind.
This is a tough spot because these people aren’t necessarily bad employees, they’re just in over their heads. And they know it. Every performance review feels like an embarrassing reminder they aren’t keeping up.
How to Handle It
You need to be direct but compassionate. Acknowledge their contributions. Let them know they’ve played a huge role in getting the company to this point.
Then, be honest about what’s changed. Say something like, “The work has grown, and what we need moving forward is different from what we needed before.”
Finally, help them transition. Imagine trying to build a resume after 10+ years in the same job. Job hunting has changed. Offer to help with LinkedIn, resume writing, or networking.
This is also a learning moment for you. If you’re feeling guilty you didn’t develop them, good. Use that to drive change. Make employee growth a priority for the rest of your team members.
Again, treating them with dignity is essential in this situation. If you don't, then you could hurt morale on your team, and other team members could worry they're next. You'll have them polishing up their resumes instead of moving forward.
Separation When the Organization Shifts
Sometimes, no one did anything wrong, but the company is heading in a different direction.
Say you run a PR firm, but over time, clients start asking for digital marketing instead. Eventually, you pivot and realize you don’t need as many PR specialists. This isn’t a performance issue, it’s just business.
Most team members will have the capacity to understand the need for change, even if they aren’t happy about it. What matters is how you handle the transition.
How to Handle It
- Give them as much notice as possible. If you know a shift is coming, don’t spring it on people last minute. Give them time to find their next opportunity.
- Use your network. Help them land on their feet. Make introductions, offer references, and see if you can help them find their next role.
- Help them find their next best fit. One client of ours had to eliminate a tradesman’s department. Instead of just sending him on his way, they gave him a behavioral assessment to see what else he might be passionate about. Turns out, he loved working with kids. They connected him with a daycare, and he later said, “If this didn’t happen, I never would’ve found my dream job.”
That’s the kind of transition you want, where employees leave feeling like you genuinely care about them.
The Biggest Termination Mistake Leaders Make
More often than not, employee separations happen because of scenario #2: an employee fell behind, and the leader didn’t address it soon enough.
Why? Because leaders feel guilty. They think, I should have done more to train them. Or, I should have given more feedback. So they keep avoiding the issue, hoping things will magically improve. Spoiler: they don’t.
Here’s the fix: have an accountability system.
- Meet with employees regularly to review expectations.
- Make sure they know exactly what success looks like.
- Prioritize personal development, and check in often on their progress.
- Give them the tools to improve.
If you do this consistently, no one should be shocked when they’re let go. By the time termination happens, they’ve already had plenty of meetings discussing why their metrics were off track.
The Bottom Line About Terminating An Employee
Separating from an employee doesn’t have to feel like a messy divorce. When you prioritize an accountability system and check in regularly on success factors, then the team member can leave with dignity — instead of coming back to haunt you.
In all the years we’ve been working with leaders rarely, maybe never, have we heard, I wish I would have waited longer to let that person go. Furthermore, rarely have we heard from the employee that they wished they had been kept on longer. Most terminations work out for the best for both the leader and the employee. Waiting longer makes both miserable.
The Metiss Group has developed its service, The Accountability System™, exactly for this purpose. We help our clients become a dynamic duo with their direct reports by focusing on communication, trust, and clarity.
Now that you understand these tips for terminating an employee, the next step is to understand why even great hires still need guidance. This will help you further understand how The Accountability System™ can help you maximize the success of every role in your organization.
