Can you be honest and not hurt their feelings?

Question

How do you tell someone he/she is not doing their job and they should find another job without hurting their feeling?

i did (numerous times) explain to her the way things should be done....but no outcome

Answer 1

easy i get this all the time I want to go into radio sales however my art skill are more my talent!

find out what they are good at and praise them for it!
or just be honest and say something like
Hey I notice your trying super hard and your doing a great job! but I seen this project you did and I notice you seem to enjoy xyz better then this have you ever thought about going into that field?

or you don';t really look happy doing what your doing right now! if you could have the choice what would you do with your career?

or
hey i'm coming to as a friend i don't want someone else to say this to you but your job here isn't going so smoothly I don't want you to get into trouble but i thought maybe I could help you find what you excell at and help you get a job else were! i just see you struggling so much!

reguardless feelings may get hurt but you have to be honest or vague at the least!

Answer 2

This is tough. Since you have repeatedly told, explained and tried to help this person learn the job they were hired to do. Your only option is to sit her down and tell her how much you like her and respect her. But that you would be doing her a disservice by keeping her in that position because obviously it is not right for her. Now if you really don't want to hurt her feelings this is where you ask her if she could do anything in he world what would she like to do. The hard part is somehow associating that dream job with a career path that she can take that will hopefully be able to pay her bills and that she can actually get hired at. I hope she doesn't say rock-star. Anyway good luck let us know how it went. See Ya

Answer 3

If it is your responsibility to hire and fire then you have no choice. Employees that consistently do a poor job even after being corrected will only place an unfair burden on those who have to fix her/his mistakes and pick-up the slack. This person either has a poor work ethic or is simply not suited for the position she's been given. Explain this clearly to them in person and in writing. I would then give a set time frame to "shape up". If you have no success, simply say, " I'm sorry but you are either not willing or are unable to fulfill your duties here. I will have to let you go and wish you success in another career/job/company( whatever suits)
Hurt feelings are unavoidable, just try to sound positive about his/her skills(if any!) that they can apply to their next position.
If this is just a co-worker, you really can only warn them that their job may be in jeopardy if their behavior continues then leave it be.
Good luck.

Answer 4

Firstly, I assume you are this person's boss, so you have the right to have this conversation.

Secondly, if your company has policies about giving employees an opportunity to improve their performance, youj should follow them to the letter - they are important. That way there is a trail of evidence that the company gave the employee a chance to improve - if the performance doesn't improve, that makes the firing 'easier' for the company.

Third: it always hurts to get fired. Period. You cannot prevent what they may feel.

Fourth, and lastly - when you have this conversation remember to stay on the topic and not be distracted by whatever the employees throws back. Your goal in this conversation is to convey a single message, make sure the person understands the message, and to execute any required paperwork about the release from employment.

Answer 5

If you need to fire someone, as long as you are professional that's the most important thing. You really cant control if someone gets their feelings hurt. No employee is going to be happy about being told that they aren't going their job well but hopefully you have been coaching them and working with them in the past to help them to the best of your ability and have documented your efforts. This really should never come as a surprise to any employee. There always is previous discussion of their work and how they must improve. Be tactful, honest and wish them well.

Answer 6

in my experience as a manager there are a number of steps to follow but perhaps this might help

P.E.S.O.S.

Prepare, Explain, Show, Observe, Supervise

tell her what it is you're are going to help her do

explain how it is done

show her how it is done

observe her doing it correctly

supervise her doing it properly

if this doesn't work then use the SOS bit several more times ..

then, and and only then, explain to her that your method of teaching and instruction isn't working, ask her in what way YOU can improve and then try her way.

if this still doesn't work then call her in privately and tell her that you cannot work together and ultimately she must fit it with the system as it is, and perhaps she would be HAPPIER working somewhere where the systems are different.
At this stage admit to her that YOU and the COMPANYhave failed and that this makes it compliant to the company's needs that you terminate her employment

Answer 7

You cant. When telling someone to find another job, and that they are not performing their job well enough, you are telling them that they are sub-par, and by telling them to find another job, you are threatening their livelihood. Its all a part of being a Manager- not a fun part, but a part, so just do it with as much strength and compassion as possible.

Answer 8

This is just a part of life, whom ever you are talking about is probably feeling the same way. So just take them somewhere private and tell them they are not catching on fast enough or something like that, and it will be all over with.

Answer 9

I think that telling them to find another job may not be the answer. Is there some way you can help them do their job better? Getting another job is their decision, not yours.

Answer 10

Are you the person's boss? Are you friends? If not, keep it to yourself and don't worry. Even as a coworker it's a difficult subject to talk about. Let the person's boss handle it.