Managing a Former/Terminated Employee

[The Big Unit]

What would you do if you found out that a new job offer you were considering accepting required you to directly manage a group of employees that included someone you had previously terminated for poor performance at a previous company? Imagine that the termination was not a mutual or friendly agreement either. There were no wrongful termination lawsuits or anything messy like but you and the other party definitely do not care for one another.

 

[BigWill]

I would tell management that I had a prior bad experience with employee X but that I would judge him solely by his performance at the new place, give him a blank tablet.

I would tell the employee the same and ask for the same in return.

 

[Summerof79]

Big will pretty much said what i was going to say.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

If it is truly professional and not personal, then you have your answer already.

 

[orangesuedeshoes]

He/she is probably more worried about you than you need to be about him/her. You have an opportunity to make a very large deposit in your loyalty account by NOT telling the new employer and making sure the individual knows you didn't. Everybody needs a fresh start at one time or another.

All of this is contingent upon the other person having grown and/or learned something since the incident in question. If they are likely to need to be fired again, you probably ought to mention it to the new employer.

Tough call but that is what management is all about.

 

[Smurfette]

I agree- I don't think it's fair to tell upper management at the new job. However, I think this ought to make it clear that you're going to need a very good performance evaluation system in place before you get there to give very good documentation if this person is, in fact, still performing poorly. If it happens that you have to fire this person twice, it could definately look personal.

 

[Hornius Emeritus]

In reply to:

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[TXSNOS]

Buy a bullet-proof vest.

 

[veggieboy]

I would definately let your new employer know about the previous relationship with employee X before employee X let's them know.

That way if anything happens that is personal, you will be out in front of it with your new employer. Also, if it appears that employee X has not grown/matured/learned from their previous experience, then make sure you document everything that may lead to you having to fire this person a second time.

Another reason to tell your new employer about it is so you can find out how employee X is performing at their new job. If it is favorable, then you can go in with a blank slate. If not, you will be ready for anything that happens...

 

[majorwhiteapples]

I don't know for sure but I think that there are privacy laws as to termination. What you can and cannot say about it should be discussed with the HR department of both companies.

As far as managing the situation, I am in a similar circumstance. I used to work with a member of my current team at a previous place of employment. He was a terd then and is the weak link in the chain on my current team. He performs to standards, but is well below everyone else on my team.

I keep leaving McDonalds University pamphlets(sp) on his desk, he just doesn't get it. He is not that bad, there are worse people on other teams.

You manage through it, put the foot to the *** when you need too.

 

[Texas_Rocks]

Ask yourself this. Would you want someone to follow you to a new job where they know nothing of your present circumstances and then proceed to jeopardize your ability to make a living because of some previous crap that went on between the two of you?

 

[Ramathorn]

Campus loop again?

 

[snotrocket]

Look here big unit, you fire my butt again and I'm keying your car, you SOB.