Are managers really sad when they have to let someone go?
Asked by sueandbear
She said she was saddened to have let me go, because she really liked me as a person. Said she helped me all that she could, but things are getting complicating. There was a 6 weeks training, I was let go half way through. Signed a paper and I asked if I could leave now. She said "yes please" Oh yeah, she also said, I wrote down you were unsuitable because I don't not know what else to say.

Best Answer:
Most corporations determine a manger’s performance on key financial indicators, namely customer retention, increasing asset turnovers and meeting targets, under their purview specific to each industry. Profit maximisation of end-user product sales and cost reduction are the primary measurement tools of Ford and Kinsey corporate models. Corporate targets based on weekly, monthly or sometimes quarterly results, thereupon managers are charged to meet bottom lines; the carrot and stick approach revolves and evolves around short term goals. Whereupon a common assumption of a flawless final product insofar as that it is sold to the consumer, with profits attributable thereof, the Company sees good quarterly profits as do stakeholders whose expectations are of immediate returns on their investment. Where time is a function of money commonly linked to immediate profits is seen as waste when not used exclusively in acquiring income, it is less likely today to accord journeymen of businesses with patriarchical characteristics. One of such last known models is of Cadbury’s chocolate factory at Bourneville of West Midlands in England. (Ref 1.) Cadbury’s under the Quakers, acted on their tenets of “campaigns for justice, equality and social reform, putting an end to poverty and deprivation”. Not only did they build schools, housing and places of worship (Ref 2.) for workers and their families alike, but also encouraged the younger and less learned staff to increase their potential. (Ref 3.) Success was such that unions had little to no place in a profitable and well managed company for some time. (Ref 4.) Today, these qualities are repackaged as “Human Capital”, which includes staff resource allocation coined “best fit”, “restructuring”, “outsourcing” and in-house “training sessions”. By trimming overhead costs of inefficient resources, ineffectual business models and management, whereupon managers (Board of Directors) are voted out in listed companies, companies are revitalised through leverage on “scientific” financial attribution to transfer out inefficiencies. Regardless of causation and careful attribution, it is of no guarantee that a hapless workforce is removed for one that is a better "fit". A Scottish pioneering bank, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), recently reduced staff (Wall street Journal) as cost exceeded profits, were alone sufficient financial indicators to act upon. As long as business models are based on Ford and the likes of which efficiency and mass production is synonymous to higher sales and profits, Managers will watch immediate bottom lines. How Ford, General Motors and like time tested business models progress is yet to be seen, in comparison to the creative industry of culinary, designer services ( Charlie Munger et al. ) and cottage industries, where human capital are the means and not the ends, to successful consumer products and services. With prevailing trends, it is then business as usual, not surprising of managers whose very jobs are on the line. ------------------As of your update------------------ No use crying over split milk; What you can do is to get wiser, smarter and faster from this setback: HR, friendly supervisors not working with immediate manager, enquire if possible: - Performance yardsticks of the company (coy); - The decision makers, HR or site supervisor ("manger")? - Under what circumstance does an employee have rights to appeal. Rationale Yardsticks and decision makers will determine the company’s operations and staff retention policy. What is good for one division manager is another division manger’s poison. This is a perpetual state in many less than well run corporations. Regardless of Managements’ promoting an all encompassing job requirement, it is not workable in Kinsey based organisations. The solution is to replace burnt out staff at all levels. Enquire and observe of co-staff work ethos and work methods. Some jobs’ emphasis is on speed, some on quality, others a moderation of both. Even Managers have been shown inept when assessed on achieving both. Quality and speed always involves a trade off. Where quality control and positive deviation adjustments with Ford motor parts are for amateurs, akin to product management, few have the gift and professionalism of dealing with Human Capital. Pedantic errors like being too fastidious on job quality or quick execution with many errors, is a common mistake of fresh graduates and new employees. Conversely, staff who do not pull their weight are on a loosing end. Admittedly poor consolation to your predicament but nonetheless a consolation: Mediocre and run of the mill coys are rife with supervisors and managers who leverage on staff turnover. - Financial institutions like certain Morgan Stanley branches used to practice retrenching the 4th quartile of their staff on a routine basis (Quarterly?), regardless of potential medium or long term returns. This is an arbitrary employee quality retention process where HR is short staffed. - Sales and Marketing coys deploy this technique to grab new sources of income from new sales staff, by eliminating staff whose sources of income have exhausted which is in any case, a customer of the company. This is executed by raising sales targets. - This gets ugly with data falsifications mixed with law suits against former staff, usually in the form of senior staff (Supervisors and above) accused of data theft and theft of customers when they leave. With half truths, some Management do retain their jobs at the cost of the jobs of others. -- A prime example: Citibank, where (in 2006) one of their regional branches did not perform up to expectation. That is a technique often overlooked by head office to save face and retain known faces; a technique for new managers to retain their jobs and sometimes a rational decision that x number of staff retrenched or lost to poaching, is worth the retention cost of those sitting at the top. Better coys assess mangers’ performances based on the hand dealt with: Managers who exhibit high staff turnover are offered positions where they excel rather than in Management, where they are not only expected to be competent par excellence, but to be able to lead by example, guide potential staff and manage their pool of resources. “By the staff for the staff.” with right business models and honest management works wonders. Abeit late, you may now have an inkling as to what you should ask of HR, looking for tell tale signs of divergences during the interview and at work. Even genuinely honest and capable management has difficulty catching all bad apples.
(Ref 1) http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury (Ref 2) http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/social_pioneers/ (Ref 3) http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/social_pioneers/education_schemes.htm (Ref 4) http://www.cadbury.co.uk/EN/CTB2003/about_chocolate/history_cadbury/social_pioneers/employee_participation.htm
Answered by pax veritas

yes they are beacuse normally they dont wan tto do it
Answered by aalizabethxo

sometimes only if they r nice
Answered by ♥♥pretty eyez♥♥

no what do you think i bet they have a grin all over there face especially if they did not like them
Answered by sugar sweet

It depends, if the person was a nuisance or a major pain they might not feel very bad. But if orders come down to just fire people at random (downsizing) they might feel some regret.
Answered by DonSoze

it depends of wat the person done n if they got fired or let go becasue they had heaps of people
Answered by surfboy

It depends on the manager-I've had some that loved to fire people!!
Answered by SidTheKid

Some of them are. My mom is a manager and she tries to do everything she can before she has to fire someone. But of course you have some who don't care and like making people miserable.
Answered by fine.photographer

I guess it really depends on the person, just like any other emotion and situation is concerned. For me....OH GOSH YES~! I have fired 4 people in my time as a manager. One person I really, truly just counted see eye to eye on any issue and she was a difficult person for everyone in the company to work with. I thought it would really be easy to say "see ya", but it was still very difficult for me. To know that you are basically turning someones life upside down, is not a comforting feeling. I am sure there are some people out there who don't give a second thought about it. But, I am more sensitive then that.
Answered by Mommyk232

some yes some no. y? b'coz if the person is the best, the company will lost a big values.
Answered by Liquid Solid

nawwww just when they get rehired and become the boss
Answered by jered

Sometimes it is an act, the thing to say, but sometimes they really are sad to lay-off people. Some realize the hardships. Sometimes they realize that things simply aren't working. Sometimes it is the lesser of two evils. I remember a couple of bosses who let me go in a couple of different jobs. In one, I just wasn't working out. He liked me but knew that things simply weren't going to be getting any better. I respected that. In another one, I annoyed some of his best workers, when they said "its him or me" then I had to go because they simply and obviously were better for the company. Then too, I remember being let off a couple of times on rediculous excuses because the company was on the edge of folding and they simply had to kick out some costs. The best one, though, was getting fired the second day from being a collector at one of those sleasy, downtown loan shops. The boss said, "I'm not going to lie to you, I'm happy to get rid of you." I truthfully answered, "Not as happy as I am to get out of here."
Answered by Rabbit

It depends on the circumstances. But in general, they are sad they have to be the bad guy. Even when someone is a real pain and the manager wants them gone, it's still painful because one realizes the negative impact you are having on their life. However, I try to look at it this way: If I turn you loose, for whatever reason, it may provide you with a much better opportunity in life. Remember there is opportunity in every adversity, if you choose to see it.
Answered by profitmessenger

usually i think it's not exactly the saddest thing ever, but they don't enjoy doing it. it really kind of depends on circumstances and reasons for letting the person go, those and the manager's relationship with the person are usually the biggest factors
Answered by C_Millionaire

My former boss once threw a party before firing 3 employees. The killer is is that she made one of them set up the cookies and ice cream. Basically, what I'm trying to say is not really.
Answered by painkiller124

When I managed a clothing store, the district manager made me fire a girl who had b.o. She had alot of documentation in her file that she had been warned about her "odor". The chick had that sharp gaggy nervous sweat smell and customers (and co-workers) complained. She did not believe in deodorant. The bad part is, I actually started to laugh when I was firing her...somehow it just tickled me that she stunk...and that I was firing her because of it... Yes, I am a bad person. Yes, I'm probably going to hell, and yes, I'll probably see her there.
Answered by iguana

Depends. For example, when an employee out and out does something that is not acceptable or illegal, typically they will not feel remorse. If an employee has been warned several times and refuses to change, no. If an employee is being terminated for reasons beyond their control, then you feel bad. If the employee is just not the right person for the job, you feel bad.
Answered by Jennifer J

yup because they have to fill the shoes until somebody else comes along but in my case my manager was a huge B!tch so who cares she's sad
Answered by tisha

Yes.I can not speak for other managers, from my experience. You learn that when you work with someone, from time in and time out, you develop a type of work friendship with those that work with you. You wonder why certain people who are managers dont want to hang out. Not that they dont want to, just its better that way.
Answered by Andy V

It depends on the person because I have seen some be okay, mad, happy and even cry, so i really dont know.
Answered by yagurlbubblez

the only reason he/she would be sad is if the got along with you really good.. other than that if he's letting you go its probably cause we weren't good enough for the business or soemthing..
Answered by bebechick504

The ones that aren't dead from the heart up probably are.
Answered by Neo

A good manager does not let go, companies gruefully comment they give full power, that is untrue. Managers do not feel sad, either because of simpathy or love, or because they just do care for other things, perhaps related to their experience and virtues. A good employee does regard to good and bad job experience, so perhaps the question is to respect their choices, not just their regard to working environment, even if a good employee or manager is to assure there is only good environment with proper labor policies and retirement compensations.
Answered by Manny

Some are, some aren't. It really depends on how the fired employee acted in the office, and what their personal relationship was like. I'd feel bad firing a friend or hard worker, but not someone who was constantly disturbing the peace or professional environment.
Answered by Magenta

i am a manager for a ware house and i have to let people go and i hate it even if they are really poor workers but it comes with the job and unless i want to be out of a job that's what i have to do sucks but i guess that's life .
Answered by anthonyjklein1

depends on if they liked the employee or not. I had a lady to be in tears when she told me 'cause she thought I was gonna cry!
Answered by DontHate

not all the time,sometimes it adds to their ego
Answered by osageavenger

No..most are on tremenous power trips and actually get off on it
Answered by Dan The Man

The first time you ever have to let some one go yes.
Answered by position28

sometimes.sometimes no. You see,it's just an act,so people don't feel so bad.but for others,if they know each other outside of work,they truly feel bad.
Answered by Rainbow Magic _x7x_

Unless the manager in question is as insensitive as Catbert, (evil HR director in the Dilbert comic strip), or unless the person being let go is without people skills (as well as devoid in professional and technical skills), then yes, any manager will be sad to have to let someone go. Insensitive managers do exist - but most prefer not to have to cut off someone from their main livelihood. Besides that, they've no doubt invested in you to some degree (training) - and now they've got to find a way to cover your duties. (Unless the company is downsizing - in which case a manager still doesn't take joy cos he knows it could just as easily be him/her next)
Answered by warped_factor_ten

it depends on th person
Answered by ali

Their sadness will totally depend on who they are haing to let go. If the reason is a layoff with a good employee, then yes, sadness can come into play. If it is a pain in the butt being let go due to layoff or disciplinary problems, the boss is probably dancing around their office after they are done. Human resource or bosses cannot be sad and devastated every time they have to let someone go. They would not be able to do their job for very long.
Answered by justme

I work in Human Resources. I can tell you that it works both ways. I have worked at one company in the past where the management culture was to enjoy firing people, and even joke about when they cry. Glad I am not there now. I now work somewhere with more compassion and unless the employee was a big troublemaker yes they are sad to have to do it in bad times. Dont settle for working for the first kind of place.
Answered by humanresourcesman

I worked at a company that was laying people off because the company was losing money. Each department manager had to let one person go in their department. The manager for my department decided to let me go because I worked there the least amount of time. She was calm and collective when I went into the office, but then she started to cry. It just depends on the manager and the connection they had with that employee.
Answered by skybluenimbus

No... that's just a put on...
Answered by deakjone

Depends on the manager. If they have a heart, yes it can be a hard thing to do. You're messing with a persons livelihood - you don't know how they are going to react.
Answered by mochachreme

there are managers really would feel sad to let someone go, especially knowing that, that person is deserving and trust-worthy. thre are managers rather love to see someone go especially if that someone is a threat to their career. :)
Answered by yfort

Yes in some cases they are. Sometimes it is hard when have to terminate a good employee . Especally when you know the person is a good worker but due to company policy you do not always have a choice.
Answered by kit_cat_xox

Depends on how good or bad the employee was.
Answered by Momzilla

I will talk from experiance here... The first time I had to let a girl go, she had been stealing from the company for a long time. I had to document items stolen, and it was a big headache. In this instance I was happy to see her go, and declined givng her a refrence. The second time I had to let a girl go, we were simply downsizing. It was horrible, and made me feel sick to my stomach. Even though the job was a second job for her, I knew it made up an important part of her income. The day I had to let her know, I cried and cried. During the actual interaction, I kept my composure, but had come prepared with a glowing letter of refrence.
Answered by OOgaCHucka

it depends.. if they like the person and are pretty close then i think they might be sad but if they absolutely can't stand the person.. i think they don't care at all. =]
Answered by ♥cHeLLy♥BeLLy♥

I would think it would depend on the situation like say you have someone who you really enjoy working w/ and there a single mom but they aren't up to par they work to slow or something than yes as a manager there is definitely a hard tug but that's why if your a manager it is a responsible position that should not be taken lightly
Answered by barbie89032

it depends on the employee if they are a good one in general they will try to keep them if they don't like them they usually just fire them anyways in letting one go though they just deal with it and life goes on they figure they will find another employee of that caliber sometime eventually
Answered by charles bolen

I held a managerial position for ten years and I did not like to have to terminate a staff person who was honest and doing their best. There were times, however, when a staff person was not performing well, wanted only a pay check, or was not working well with other staff personnel that I was relieved to let them go. Only once was I downright happy to tell someone it was the end!
Answered by missingora

I'd guess that depends both on who the manager is and on who the person is they're letting go.
Answered by beast

well it depends on the manager . if he-she is nice maybe. if he-she is mean there is a good chance he-she isn't
Answered by daddysonlygirl95

I would not think so...don't you think after so many times firing someone it's come naturally without emotion behind it...It is part of their position, comes with their title.
Answered by lore

it depends on the circumstances and the relationship between the manager and the person. it also depends on the persons efficiency as an employee
Answered by de bizzle

NO they are glad that they fried you. and some times if they fire u they just want to talk to you.
Answered by mnm_h_1995