You just got fired. Now what?

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is participating in an involuntary separation. That's a nice way to say "when people are fired."

Not because I’m the grim reaper. Because I care. 

If I’m involved, I’m going to make sure you’re treated with the most dignity and compassion possible.

So you’ve been fired. 

You walked into your 1:1 one Thursday morning, and HR was sitting next to your manager. They wouldn’t even tell you why. 

I mean, you know why. 

It was that meeting you were late to. Twice, but not in a row. 

And that presentation that flopped. 

The brief that your boss sent back 3 times for revisions and then just rewrote themself. 

That snippy email you wrote with everyone on copy.

As you clean out your desk, your coworker doesn’t meet your eyes. And you realize they knew.

Your phone is silent. You open it reflexively. No new emails. No Slack notifications. And you realize, IT knew.

The weird feeling of your backpack straps without the weight of your laptop in it makes you feel unmoored. 

I’ve participated in a LOT of involuntary separations, so listen to me when I say: 

IT’S OKAY.

Maybe you made a mistake. Maybe you weren't quite ready. Maybe you had a lot going on. I know it feels awful, but I promise, no one thinks you’re a failure. 

Believe it or not, someone probably took great care in what happened to you. Because they know it wasn't all your fault. They wanted this to be as easy for you as possible.

I’m not usually in The Room. I’m the one who spent yesterday afternoon coordinating your final paycheck. The one who’s on call to cut off your Slack account at the exact right moment. 

I’m the one who comes in afterward to explain COBRA and whether you’re eligible for unemployment. I’m the one who will do the employment verifications and answer your questions about W2s in a few months. I want you to see me as an ally. And I genuinely wish you the best.

I have a template for these situations. It includes: “Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. If any of my connections work somewhere that’s interesting to you, I’d be happy to make an intro.” 

It’s not about the LinkedIn connection. It’s about saying, “I believe in you.” 

It says, “I’m willing to put my reputation behind you. Now. Today. Because what just happened doesn’t make you untouchable.” 

It says, “Let’s look forward to what comes next. Because this place wasn’t it, and we all want to see you thrive.”

I can’t wait to see that celebration banner on LinkedIn when you land your next thing.

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👋 I’m Claire. My friends Krista Lane, AnnE Diemer, and I made a whole podcast about getting fired from HR's point of view.

Listen here