Potential dismissal process

Potential dismissal process

When hiring someone new to join our team, it's important to be aware that our working culture is not a good match to everyone. Approximately once a year since euforia started having employees, someone has been dismissed. Because of our human centered culture and the fact that the people we work with are not only colllegues but also friends, the longer the person has been part of the team, the more difficult it is to go through a dismissal process (believe it, we know from experience!!).

From this experience comes the first and most important principle: "hire fast, fire fast!". The objective is to NEVER AGAIN have to fire someone that has been in the team beyond their trial period.

Key principles for hire fast fire fast to function well

• Don’t talk about people behind their back!

• Each circle takes the lead on deciding who to hire and integrate, using the advice process.

• The newbie has an integration coach to support his/her integration. Whoever is an integration coach should have been at euforia for 6-12 months.

• An integration team is formed with the 3 people who will work most with the newbie. The integration team should ideally be present for entire integration period (at least! or even 6-12 months longer).

• The decision whether the new person can stay beyond the integration period or not is taken within the integration team based upon peer evaluation.

• The process transparent to the person hired from day 1. Clearly say to the newbie that we hire fast and fire fast.

• Talent development role is present to ensure the process is respected and as support to the integration team upon request (tools explanations, mediation, advice...).

• All evaluations in trial period and any other important communication/meeting is done in written form.

• Past experience has shown us that is the person is underperforming in the following areas in the first 1-3 months, then the person will not do well at euforia in the long term: leadership, goal oriented working attitude and (to a certain extent) following internal euforic rules. Take these indicators seriously!!!

Process during trial period

• The integration coach (or team) takes care of the newbie’s weekly check-ins and monthly evaluation for the first 3 months, and ensures feedback from the entire integration team is taken into account.

• Fix ahead of time when the 3 first evaluation meetings will happen using our shared calendar, the third one being well BEFORE the end of the integration period, to allow for consultation of the HUGO board if necessary.

• If during the first monthly 1:1 there seems to be any problem at all with the newbie, discuss with talent development role. Any issues at this state must be clearly stated to the newbie and concrete steps to improve the situation formulated in written form and reviewed at the second monthly 1:1.

• If a problem was detected during the first monthly 1:1, then the integration evaluation should be used instead of the monthly 1:1 format, to provide increased clarity on what is going well and not.

• During the second monthly 1:1, if the situation has not improved, the integration team may:

  • Give a second chance to the newbie, again with clear improvement engagements from the newbie and support from talent development role.

  • Request from the HUGO board a decision to fire the person. This decision is taken unanimously.

• The 3 month integration evaluation should include feedback from the entire integration team, and if the newbie must absolutely meet expectations (at a minimum) in all general competencies and most of his/her objectives over the 3 months should be reached. If not, the integration coach should discuss with talent development and, most probably, request a decision from the HUGO board to terminate the contract.

Process beyond the trial phase

• When someone sees a problem with a collegue, he informs the collegue and talent development. A first meeting is held between the 3 to understand the situation and decide next steps.

• If the situation is indeed deemed problematic by talent development, then an evaluation is conducted with the 2-4 people who work most closely with the person, using the 360° evaluation format.

• If the results confirm that the person is underperforming, then the HUGO board is informed and it must decide how to proceed. It can

  • offer a chance to the person to improve with a clear action plan OR

  • decide to dismiss the person.

• HUGO decisions are taken unanismouly.

Composition and role of the HUGO board

The HUGO board is composed of 4 people elected by the entire employee team once a year that holds the power to fire people and to ensure that a fair process is followed. HUGO takes all its decisions unanismously, with at least 3 out of 4 members present. Its meetings are confidential and the minutes are kept in a separate drive folder that only HUGO can access.

Current composition: can be seen on glassfrog.

Good practices for HUGO to assume its role well are collected in this document.