Delegation Letting staff go - How and when should you do it?

[Cedric]

Running a forum means building a team you can trust, but sometimes, staff members don’t work out. Maybe they’ve become inactive, maybe they aren’t a good fit anymore, or are even causing issues within the community. We've seen it happening that members just aren't motivated once they're promoted.

Letting someone go is never easy, but at what point do you make that decision? And how do you handle it - do you have a private conversation, make a public announcement, or just quietly remove their permissions?

Have you ever had to let a staff member go? What advice would you give to other admins facing the same situation?

 

[Matthew]

There are a lot of variables to consider here.

1) Policy - What does your policy state? Is it clear about expectations and procedure for not meeting those expectations?
2) Trends - Can you identify a trend with why people are leaving? What is root cause of their departures? Can something be addressed to correct these issues?
3) History - What is the history of the user’s performance? Is something going on?
4) Alternatives - Performance plans, LOAs, reclassification, etc. can be considered if the user is responsive.

In all cases (barring gross misconduct), I think a conversation is warranted. This conversation should include documentation that notes areas of concerns, specific call to actions, and a clear check in. If expectations continue to not be met, I would consider either next steps. Coming from HR, I always err on the side of employee development and care. It’s easier to navigate a situation if the decision to leave belongs to the person rather than to management. This conversation can be tricky but detailing procedure (which could include separation) sometimes motivates users to go ahead and depart rather than working through a corrective action scenario.

 

[Bawse]

Since I started my forum a little over a year ago. I removed a moderator from my team, because they never told me they were a former moderator with one of my partners, and they made a mistake hustling the owner out of money.

I removed him as soon as I found out.

 

[InMyOpinion]

Running a forum means building a team you can trust, but sometimes, staff members don’t work out. Maybe they’ve become inactive, maybe they aren’t a good fit anymore, or are even causing issues within the community. We've seen it happening that members just aren't motivated once they're promoted.

Letting someone go is never easy, but at what point do you make that decision? And how do you handle it - do you have a private conversation, make a public announcement, or just quietly remove their permissions?

Have you ever had to let a staff member go? What advice would you give to other admins facing the same situation?

Great thread once again @Cedric!

Letting a staff member go is never an easy thing to do, however it becomes necessary when their actions or attitude start negatively affecting and impacting the community or the team. I usually consider removal when there's a consistent pattern of issue - whether it's a lack of engagement, breaking the forum rules, or conflicts that just can't be resolved.

When it comes to handling the situation, I believe in direct and respectful communication. I prefer a private conversation first, allowing and giving the person to improve and change their behaviours and to also explain their side of the situation. If things don't change, then I move forward with removing their permissions. I usually only make public announcements if their departure impacts the community (like if they were an admin or held a very important role), but I always keep it professional and drama-free.

In the past I have had to fire and let go of staff and my biggest piece of advice would be to document issues as they arise. Having clear reasons for the decision makes it easier to handle if they give me any push back or question my reasoning.

It's also very important to act on bad behaviour because if you let it slide you're basically telling your other staff and members that they can do whatever they like without any consequences. You want to keep a professional and fun forum therefore sometimes you have to make difficult decisions so your forum can flourish and other staff members along with members will know that they must follow the rules or there will be disciplinary action.

 

[CTS]

I prefer a private conversation first

Absolutely

 

[InMyOpinion]

Absolutely

I find if it isn't in private it's pretty rude and unprofessional so doing it on the downlow is the best and only option.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I always go straight to sending staff a private message if I see that they're inactive or haven't been keeping up with their job. Communication is key for any relationship, doesn't have to be a romantic one! It's tough letting go of staff regardless if they've been staff for a while or just a short time because you felt that they could do the job but in reality they couldn't. You should let go of staff when you see that they're not contributing to your community like they should.