As an HR professional or manager, employee terminations are something that will need to be addressed, whether frequently or infrequently - and we all hope it end up being less frequent. However often it happens, the resulting turnover can end up being a very costly expense to organizations. A look inside the numbers illustrates how important retention really is.

Terminating an employee may be the worst task that HR professionals are required to undertake. Even if they occur only infrequently, the meetings almost always have the potential to be unpleasant or, in the worst cases, contentious. The best approach is to put your head down and just get through it, right?

Wrong.

There are actions you can take in advance of a termination meeting to increase the possibility of the relationship ending calmly and perhaps even amicably, with minimal disruption to your business. Follow these tips, approach the situation confidently, and you may be surprised at how well things actually go.