📣 Jordan Giddens, Head of People in Operations @ Rice & Kendig:
The first thing I’d ask is – what specifically makes her not a good fit? I only ask because I recently went through almost this exact situation. We hired someone who interviewed so well, but after about 8 weeks – even with tons of one-on-one training, it was clear she just wasn’t grasping our processes. Her manager was losing sleep worrying one mistake could cost us big time.
During this time, I had been coaching her manager on how to carefully document each training and coaching session. That way, it wasn’t about personality or “fit,” it was about clear performance expectations that just weren’t being met.
If you’ve had those conversations and given the right support, and it still isn’t working, then it’s okay to be direct but kind. You can acknowledge the effort while staying clear about the role’s needs. Something like:
“We really appreciate the effort you’ve put in, and we’ve worked together on training and coaching. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to reach the level of independence and productivity this position requires. For that reason, we’ve made the decision to end your employment here.”
It’s never an easy conversation, but I feel this approach is honest, respectful, and compassionate while keeping the focus on the role’s requirements.
📣 Kimberly Brady, HR Generalist @ HopeTree Family Services:
I don’t think there’s a way to let someone go without the risk of hurt feelings. Losing a job is hard no matter how it’s framed. What you can do is handle the conversation with honesty, respect, and kindness.
That said, it’s important to make sure termination really is the last resort. Have you given the employee clear feedback, tools, and support to succeed? Have you documented those conversations and any improvement plans? Sometimes, performance issues come down to training gaps, unclear expectations, or mismatched communication styles. Addressing those first shows fairness and gives the employee a chance to turn things around.
If you’ve already exhausted those steps and the role truly isn’t a fit, then keep the conversation short, direct, and compassionate. For example: “We appreciate the effort you’ve put in, but it’s become clear this position isn’t the right fit, so we’ll need to move forward with ending your employment.”
It also helps to acknowledge their contributions and, if possible, offer support such as a reference for a role that better suits their skills or even a severance package if your policies allow. You can’t remove all the sting, but you can make sure the process is handled fairly and with dignity.
📣 Kim Simons, CFO @ Workhouse Arts Foundation:
Honestly, there is no way to terminate her without her being hurt. Your job here isn't to protect her feelings but to protect the company by ensuring that the termination is legal and meets all the policies and procedures your company typically follows.
Once you've verified that, keep it short and to the point. She's being let go, this is the date the termination is effective, this is what she's owed in accrued PTO and wages through her termination date, this is when her benefits will end, and this is when and how she'll be notified of her rights under COBRA (a bulleted list is best for this as it will make it easier for her to review at a later time – when she's let go she will be overwhelmed and unable to focus clearly on what you're saying). Discuss severance if she's being offered it.
You are under no legal obligation to disclose why she's being let go, though she's likely to ask why. Be prepared with a legally acceptable but honest answer. Saying she's not a good fit is non-specific and could open a can of worms you don't want opened.
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