Dilemma
What should you do if an employee has been performing less well for a while, is not learning enough or is consistently acting contrary?
Don’t fire right away
It just depends on what that behavior comes from, says Guido Heezen, former director and co-founder of Effectory, an agency that collects employee feedback. “When that person was hired, everything was still fine. And he or she was not fired during the probationary period either. So what has happened since then?”
Heezen sees a number of common reasons for the emergence of a mismatch between people and functions. For example, an employee may start out enthusiastic, but gradually become disappointed. “For example, he or she encounters barriers, such as unnecessary protocols, poorly functioning computer systems or strongly hierarchical relationships. As a result, an enthusiastic employee can slowly sour. Instead of pulling the cart, he or she hangs on it, with their heels in the sand.”
Shouldn’t you fire someone like that? “You first have to see what went wrong. You can learn from this as an organization. Then you have to see if there is still life in that employee. In that case you may be able to continue, but under different circumstances. If not, you better say goodbye.” That is also fairer to the other team members, says Heezen. “If you do nothing about dysfunction, it can have a strong demotivating effect on the rest.”
Another common reason for dysfunction is a major life event. “Think of a divorce or informal care. As a result, an employee can become so preoccupied that work only takes up yet another place. An employer must above all offer solutions.”
For example, Effectory once arranged a two-month Airbnb stay for someone with two children who was going through a contested divorce. And an employee who had no money for a new washing machine was financially supported. A sensible employer anticipates these types of situations, says Heezen. “You see many employees with financial problems within the cleaning and security industry. These organizations often employ their own social workers.”
And then there is a third group. These are employees who no longer suit their position due to a reorganization, the passage of time, or a promotion gone wrong. Heezen: “One of our customers had a commercial director who scored a three in the employee survey two years in a row. You just have to say goodbye to someone like that.” If there is an internal vacancy that suits that person, then that can be a social solution, says Heezen, “but you shouldn’t create work around someone.”
Maybe never
Employers should stop firing employees, says director of the labor market and corporate social responsibility Marjolein ten Hoonte of Randstad Group Netherlands. “Most employees are functioning well. If that is not the case, a good employer will guide them to other work.” As a society, we must try to prevent people from ending up unemployed at home for long periods of time, Ten Hoonte argues in her book Can we talk about work for a moment? Towards a dismissal-free society with work and security for everyone. To increase the mobility of all workers, she proposes to separate social arrangements such as pensions, vacation days and absenteeism from contract forms. This also makes it more attractive for employees with a permanent contract to change jobs. “Now they often stay put, for fear of endangering their livelihood.”
She believes that the government must radically reform our historically developed labor legislation. “Over the decades we have packaged work into jobs. And to prevent the worst imaginable for the individual – dismissal – we have built safety nets that do not sufficiently help that individual to return to work,” writes Ten Hoonte. To make it easier to offer new work, regional cooperation can be useful. “Look at the work centers that were set up during the corona crisis and that, for example, ensured that catering staff could work at the GGD.”
Employers should also be less picky. Ten Hoonte: “In a tight labor market, they cannot afford to only hire people who exactly meet predefined job profiles.” Diplomas and experience should count less than capabilities and motivation, says Ten Hoonte. “The question from an employer should always be: how do we ensure that you as an employee can continue? You can then jointly agree on an internal career path that will allow an employee to progress step by step to another position, or help someone find work elsewhere.”
So
If the working relationship between you and your employee sours after the honeymoon, investigate what went wrong. You may be able to learn from this as an organization. When you decide to say goodbye afterwards, do so thoughtfully. Being fired can be merciless. Carefully guiding employees to a new job is a better solution for all parties – and also for society as a whole.