This latter view was recently taken to controversial status on LinkedIn when tech CEO Andreas Roettl of Journi said his company actively trains managers and team leaders in the art of firing people. He wanted to drive the point home with a lengthy statement, stressing the importance of being “really good” at layoffs, as this procedure is just as crucial as hiring.
“I am good at firing people. Says no one ever. But we should! Because firing is as important as hiring,”
Rosetta wrote to point out one of the few topics nobody likes to discuss in the business world. Effective firing practices improve team morale:
“Firing will save your team spirit and culture.”
Rosetta continued to explain how Journi, a technological company that prints photos using artificial intelligence, undergoes training in team leader areas like handling dismissals, simulating scenarios related to firing, and developing early warning systems for evaluating employee performance.
He reiterated creating conditions to make employees better before termination, using sports as an example: “Just as in soccer, there must be a clear first warning-that yellow card. A conversation must make clear what is not working and what is expected; time for improvement must be provided with support.
If an employee does not show any sign of progress within “reasonable time,” then “there comes a time” when one needs to let him go. Looking back, Roettl remembered how he felt uncomfortable the first time he was required to lay someone off, how the group afterward was relieved, and how this new hire contributed much to their success.
Although he did not mean to cause any harm, the posting elicited an uproar of responses, with many reprimanding the insensitivity of his comments. Team members feared it could affect hiring. Roettl apologized to those his message had offended and reassured them the plan had been to show appreciation for how hard his team worked.
He took the criticism sportingly:
“I probably didn’t find the right setting and tone to convey my message. That’s fair enough. I will learn from it.”
