How to Deal with Tough Conversations in Human Resources

How to Deal with Tough Conversations in Human ResourcesHow to Deal with Tough Conversations in Human ResourcesIf theres one certainty for professionals working in the field of HR, its the ongoing need to hold tough conversations. From communicating about layoffs to following up about certain employees behavior at the brde company party, HR is tasked with working through sticky situations on a continuous basis.This series will provide a toolkit to handle the toughest conversations that HR has to facilitate. Although some discussions will always be at least a little awkward, by the end of the series you will be fully prepared to carry them out as gracefully as possible.The No. 1 skill needed in any HR conversation is directness. Many Americans struggle with being direct. Fearing that the recipient of the feedback will make a scene or that the future relationship will be tense, we tiptoe around the issue at hand and try to soften the message by hiding it in praise or minimizing the true impact of the behavior that needs to change. The role of an HR professional requires tact and diplomacy as well as the proficiency to communicate clearly and directly in contentious conversations. After all, HR generally isnt called in to bestow promotions and raises. Managers like to take care of delivering the good news themselves.Conversation 1 Firing an Underperforming EmployeeBefore moving to the step of firing someone, work with that employees manager to make sure that the problems leading to the firing have been clearly communicated. Even if you are operating in a state that allows at-will employment, protect your company by requiring managers to follow up performance conversations with documentation. When you hold the conversation to terminate an employee, be calm and matter-of-fact. Explain the behavior that the employee has displayed, why its a problem to the company, and review the steps taken to resolve it. A sample script might look like this.Janet, one of our values a t ABC Company is speed to execution. You have missed five key deadlines over the brde quarter. This has caused delays and problems for Team X and Team Y, which depend on your work. Additionally, this resulted in a delay in our product launch that impacted our revenue. Your manager spoke to you about this after each deadline that was missed, but we havent seen any improvement.This is why we need to end your employment with ABC Company.Conversation 2 Facilitating a LayoffThe key in facilitating a layoff is to work with the executive team to determine a clear rationale of who is being laid off and why. Whether youre eliminating a department or regional office, or whether the logic is merely last in, first out, look for a way to group all of the designated employees together. This serves two purposes. Your organization will have an easier time managing morale for the remaining employees if the layoff appears to be rational rather than capricious. And documenting the rationale for the la yoff beforehand will also help should someone decide to sue for a discriminatory termination.Often companies will use layoffs as an opportunity to eliminate employees who havent been performing up to standard. In this case, employees should be made aware that theyre being let go due to performance, but that the company has chosen to technically treat the situation like a layoff for that employee. For the rest of the employees of the layoff, here is a suggested script.Based on where the business (product, division, etc.) is right now, today will be your last day. We are eliminating people (based on this logic the x division, the y office, etc.). Heres what will happen next. (We would like you to take the next 30 minutes to pack up your desk, etc.)Although HR departments have many pleasant conversations with employees each day, its the tough conversations that give HR professionals the opportunity to demonstrate true skill in communication. Stay with us for the next article in the ser ies How to talk about body odor and hygiene in the workplace.