[makach]

This article should be obligatory reading material for everyone. Considering how it focuses on empathy and leadership I find it a little odd that they use the terminology "hire/fire" which in my opinion is hostile/negative loaded words. Imo it would be better to use something like

  allocate/re-allocate
  assign/reassign
  delegate/replace
  on-boarded/off-boarded
  hired/let go
  

words have meaning and should be used carefully when writing and discussing. especially if you are a leader. Fear based management is a real thing and something that is easy to fall back into if any issues and you are unwilling to accept responsibility. it is always so easy to blame someone ease. A true leader/manager knows this and accepts responsibility. This is also the essence of the article and why I think some of the words used is ... a little off ...

*edit, I'm European and rules are a little different here, firing someone is very hard to do. When you get fired it is usually because of something very serious.

[locallost]

Words have meaning so people feel better about being offboarded instead of fired.

[makach]

yes. where I live, only when you have done something really bad - you can get fired. If you are fired it might be very difficult to find a new job.

If you get offboarded, or let-go, then it is different. You haven't done anything bad that could potentially block your future; there is a better narrative for you to use when looking for new employment.

[locallost]

I'm also European and do not notice a difference between being fired and let go. In both cases your contract is terminated by your employer. If it's about meaning, the meaning is the same. Since we likely do not live in English speaking countries (I don't at least), it's difficult to map these words to any concepts that might exist somewhere else and say one is better than the other. A more European thing would be to actually forbid the employer to signal in any way why your contract was terminated, so that it interferes with your future career.

[imron]

Sorry Dave, you’ve been discontinued.

[starky]

I disagree with the idea that you should avoid hire/fire. Yeah they aren't happy words, but I'm far more annoyed by people who mince words and don't convey their point succinctly and clearly. At one point in the article the author uses the word "discontinue" as a synonym for firing someone, it took me far too long to confirm that firing is what he meant. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be tactful, but it is far more insulting to take someone into a room and tell them they are being "off-boarded".