Dismissal Meeting As Manamela (2000) notes, employers who are conducting dismissals for whatever reason need to be able to prepare for the dismissal meeting, by understanding why the dismissal is occurring and how the dismissal will be communicated to the employee. One of the most important considerations, one that will guide the dismissal meeting, is whether or not the dismissal is "fair" or "unfair" (Earnshaw, Marchington & Goodman, 2000). This means whether the employee is being dismissed for cause, or for another reason such as downsizing or cost savings.

The Dismissal Meeting

For employees who are being let go for disciplinary reasons, the case must already have been documented. Indeed, it is common practice among employees other than new employees that there should have been multiple incidents in the past, at least one of which would have carried with it a formal hearing and punishment. The exception is where the case is sufficiently serious that a single incident warrants dismissal. Thus by this point there is no need for a disciplinary hearing, the decision to remove the employee has already been made, and nothing in the hearing should therefore come as a surprise to the parties involved (DBERR, 2007). Nevertheless, the company must prepare itself for a range of negative emotions, and to describe the dismissal process to the former employee.

Negative Emotions

Very people are enthused to hear that their source of employment has been removed. The company should be so lucky that the employee has already decided that he or she wants to leave. In other cases, anger, defensiveness or shock/sadness are negative emotions that are likely to be experienced at this stage. Defensiveness is a particular barrier,...

The best response to defensiveness should be simply to reiterate the fact that this is happening, remain calm, and give the person time to deal with the reality of the situation. It does not matter if the dismissal is just or unjust at this point, only that it is occurring, and the company cannot engage the defensive employee in a debate about the justice of the situation.
Anger and sadness/shock/crying are both emotional reactions as well, and they are both ones that can best be addressed by keeping the situation calm. It may do well to offer some sort of counseling or career planning for people who are being dismissed through no fault of their own. For those who are being terminated for cause, having security available but out of the room might allow for protection without antagonism.

Step-by-Step

The most important steps in the meeting are done ahead of time, in the preparation process. The first step is to identify the type of dismissal that it is, and from there determine the documentation and the personnel that are required. The site of the meeting is also important. Normally, this is something that occurs at the work site, but if for some reason that is not necessary then that has to be addressed.

The next step is in the conduct of the meeting. Dismissal meetings should be short and to the point. The dismissal meeting should therefore be quick -- state the event up front and move quickly towards a positive spin, either that the person can now pursue other opportunities, what sort of help the company might be offering that person or at the bare minimum what the schedule for completing the dismissal might be. It is…