Nobody said working in Human Resources would be easy. We’re responsible for some heavy-duty tasks, such as discovering compatible new talent, developing a benefits package that breeds company loyalty, dealing with grievances and performance issues, and delivering news employees dread hearing. Yes, as HR professionals, we signed up for the tough stuff, and that sometimes means heralding bad tidings. And while repeatedly being the bearer of bad news can callous us against these difficult conversations, it’s important to remember that each bit of bad news will impact a unique employee for the first time, and every employee will receive and react to the news differently. So while we don’t have a catch-all script, we do have some helpful hints for conducting yourself during the four most difficult types of HR conversations:

• Firing someone. It never becomes easy to tell a person, face to face, to look for employment elsewhere—you just get better at masking the awful flutters churning in your stomach. It may help you to remember that for every awful flutter in your stomach, the employee you’re about to let go is having a flock of them. This termination will not come as a surprise if your office has been exercising regular performance feedback and communicating potential consequences. So go ahead and acknowledge at the start of the meeting that this will be a difficult conversation. As you break the news, remember to empathize as much as possible but to remain professional. And always get your ducks in a row prior to the actual termination, to ensure proper termination procedures are followed.
• Announcing layoffs. Like terminations, announcing layoffs requires looking employees in the eye and explaining they’re about to be out of work. But layoffs can be more difficult to announce because employees played no direct hand in losing their jobs. Even though this will be a tough announcement to make, don’t sit on it. Trust us, the rumor mill already has an idea of what’s coming, so it’s best to be timely, honest, and direct, and to tell all affected employees in person. Follow up with formal written correspondence to ensure clear communication. If layoffs will come as the result of a pending reorganization, open a clear line of communication with employees at every step. People like to know what’s coming, especially when jobs are in jeopardy.
• Investigating an employee. No HR professional likes investigating an employee’s alleged behavior, whether it’s fraud, harassment, embezzlement, or something else—none of it is pleasant. But before you sit down to have this difficult conversation, make sure you’re prepared. Have your legal team present for the company’s protection and for yours. Also be sure to document each and every conversation and correspondence that takes place.
• Discussing personal habits. It’s always awkward (but hopefully enlightening) to have to talk to an employee about unpleasant personal habits, such as body odor, bad breath, inappropriate attire, or routinely microwaving fish in the lunch room. And not only is this talk embarrassing, it comes with potential legal considerations, say, if a hygiene issue is caused by an underlying medical condition. So always be sincere, sensitive, and supportive during these conversations, knowing the employee might be unaware of the problem, or might be aware and unable to remedy it.

HR is a tough job that involves tackling the tough issues! We hope these tips will help you through these four toughest HR conversations. Tune in to our next blog, where we’ll discuss tips to make any difficult conversation go a little more smoothly. And remember, if your company or HR office needs a hand to guide you through the tough issues, we at YES! Your Human Resources Solutionare here to help with our comprehensive HR-consulting services. Visit our website for a free consultation and to learn more about how we can help your unique business thrive into the future.