'Firing Is As Important As Hiring': CEO Advocates Training For Termination Skills; Internet Reacts

In his post, Andreas Roettl shared his insights on managing layoffs, emphasising the significance of letting go of underperforming employees to safeguard team morale and maintain a positive culture

As industries worldwide go through tough times, layoffs have become prevalent for employees as employers embrace the challenge of tackling business losses. When everyone around the world is somehow getting through this challenging time, a LinkedIn post from the CEO of a European tech company has ignited a debate by saying that managers should be trained to be "good" at firing employees.

In his post, Andreas Roettl shared his insights on managing layoffs, emphasising the significance of letting go of underperforming employees to safeguard team morale and maintain a positive culture. He wrote, “I’m really good at firing people… said no one ever. But we should! Because firing is as important as hiring.”

“Yet it is a topic most people avoid. We don’t want to be fired; we don’t want to fire others. The thing is: Firing is as necessary and deserves the same attention as hiring. Firing will keep your team happy and strong. Firing will save your team spirit and culture. At Journi, we focus on training our leads to become good at letting people go. And you should do that too!” he added.

He encouraged others to adopt a similar approach. Before considering terminations, he advocated for regular training for team leads, including practice sessions, feedback mechanisms, and performance improvement plans (PIPs). According to Roettl, the firing process should be handled thoughtfully, allowing employees to improve before reaching a final decision.

He further wrote: “Just like in soccer, there must be a clear first warning: the yellow card, so to speak. A conversation in which you clearly tell the person what doesn’t work and what you expect. Then you run through a performance improvement plan you created for them. Allow them to get better and provide support.”

However, his post doesn’t resonate with several internet users. One user commented, “You know what i feel, such posts are not needed unless there is a really some helpful information is to be posted.”

Another user added: “Andreas Roettl everyone is with their own fault and errors..train them to achieve Target not your personal target and goals mean company's goals.”