Working in HR, there’s no real way to hide from it. You can’t sugarcoat it or shirk the responsibility.
There will be times in your career when you need to deliver some bad news to employees.
You might need to make someone redundant, dismiss them for poor performance or walk them through a business restructure in a way you know they won’t be happy about.
On the flip side, working in HR also means delivering some amazing news to people. News that can make their day, or even better, make their year and even change the course of their career.
The act of delivering bad news is daunting, especially when you’re just starting in HR or don’t have to do it often. But these conversations are an inevitable part of your job.
And the way you handle these conversations matters. It’s not just about getting the message across clearly but also about how employees walk away feeling. If done right, you can still maintain trust and dignity, leaving the door open for future collaboration or referrals.
And it’s not always the messenger's fault, right?
So, what’s the best way to deliver bad news without burning bridges? Let’s walk through some practical steps to help you do it right.
Framing the conversation in advance is crucial because you want to avoid catching an employee off guard with bad news.
Start by planting the seed. Give them a heads-up that a conversation is coming and that the topic might be difficult or upsetting. This allows them to prepare them emotionally and mentally.
Essentially, you’re giving them notice and seeking permission to enter a tough conversation. It shows respect, creates psychological safety and eases emotional impact.
Before framing, get a sense of their communication preference from their manager because it should inform how you frame the conversation, like giving them a quick call or a detailed email you can both walk through during the meeting.
If you frame the conversation with some thought, it sets the tone for a more constructive chat, even when the news is hard to hear.
People usually appreciate transparency, and being upfront about what’s coming allows an employee to engage with the conversation more calmly from the beginning.
Whether it be to support a family, grow their career, or make friends at work, we all have different reasons for getting up every day and going to work.
If you’re comfortable, you should lean on their motivation and use it to inform the direction you take when delivering the bad news. And if you’re not comfortable, that’s okay! There are other ways to personalise, like their emotional response style.
Are they used to dealing with a hot-headed manager? Do they tend to ask a lot of questions? Will they need time to process the news?
Having a good sense of these factors, along with their reasons will help you feel better prepared and inform how you tailor your approach. Some employees need a few hours to digest the bad news before they jump into solution mode or the next steps.
Think of delivering bad news like flying a plane.
Takeoff and landing are important, but up in the air is where the journey happens. If you rush the takeoff (the issue) or jump straight to the landing (the goal), you miss the crucial middle part.
Delivering bad news works the same way.
You need to spend time in the air (the gap) because that’s where the heart of the conversation lives. This is where you acknowledge emotions, provide context, and build clarity. Skimming over it only confuses people, while rushing the end creates a rough landing.
A good tip is to avoid treating their problem or the mistake personally. Nothing exists in isolation, everything exists in context, so there are always contextual reasons for mistakes.
Rather than making the employee think of themselves as the mistake, position yourself as a problem solver, even if they are leaving the organisation.
Ambiguity is the killer of motivation.
Before the conversation ends, you want to be specific with the next steps. The employee should leave the meeting with a clear idea of what will happen next.
When wrapping up the conversation, show that you’re committed to helping them. It leaves a good impression and shows that you don’t want these types of conversations to be
one-and-done, whether they’re staying with your organisation or not.
And if the bad news doesn’t end up with the employee leaving the organisation, it’s also a good idea to keep the conversation going so there isn’t pressure to solve the problem immediately.