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Journalism of Courage
Andreas Roettl, CEO of Journi, a “creative tech” company, said in a LinkedIn post that firing employees is as important as hiring, triggering a debate. In the post, he wrote “firing will keep your team happy and strong”, “firing will save your team spirit and culture,” and that at his company, they focus on training managers to “become good at letting people go.”
Roettl then detailed how the company empowers its leaders to assess if employees are to be fired, and this included “regular feedback and assessment talks, an early warning system, performance improvement plans, personal development opportunities, finding and developing strengths, etc.”
However, he also stressed the importance of giving employees a fair chance to improve before any decision is made. He likened this to soccer, where players are given a “yellow card” as a first warning, followed by clear guidance and support to help them improve their performance. In his view, the process should be transparent and structured, ensuring that both the team and the individual benefit in the long run.
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Online users were quick to weigh in on the post. While some supported Roettl’s strategy, the majority disagreed with his point of view.
“I don’t think this completely tone-deaf post is anywhere near the flex you think it is, dude,” wrote a user in the comments. Another user commented, “You know what I feel, such posts are not needed unless there is really some helpful information is to be posted.”
Once the post got backlash from fellow users, Roettl responded to it and wrote, “I’m sorry if I hurt someone with that post but rest assured that the main message is that we have to praise and protect all of you guys doing a great job at journi and while the topic is of course uncomfortable, it is also sometimes important to say goodbye to the ones not living our culture and not doing a good job.”
