The most compelling subject line I’ve ever seen? “You’re fired.” I’ve been sacked in strange ways, but never by e-mail, and you can be damned sure I opened it.

But it turned out to be Les Gore’s Recruiting Report, and the article was on how to discharge a subordinate. Les, a direct marketer recruiter, sent it to me unsolicited, but I read it because it was interesting in a ghoulish way—like reading about how to administer a lethal injection. And I subscribed to the e-letter.

Well, Les has returned to that topic, and it’s a timely one given the layoffs going on.

Are you a manager facing an unpleasant decision? Here’s a couple of tips on how to conduct a layoff. Do it early in the week, with as much dignity as you can. “Don’t even think about a mass meeting, telephone conference call, or an e-mail,” Les writes. “Your people deserve more than that from you.”

Also, provide a generous severance package—say, one or two weeks of pay for each year the person has worked for you. You’re much less likely to run into legal hassles.

Above all, Les urges you to think it through. Cutting jobs may not be the answer.

“There should be a business case made for each layoff,” he continues. “Some companies eliminate shifts. Other companies have all the employees take an unpaid day every two weeks. Be creative.”

He adds: “Eliminating a position, such as all clerical employees, and shifting the work to the managers and staff is as routine as telling each department they must downsize by 10%. While seeming ‘fair,’ this may be bad for your business because essential positions will be done away with.”

Good point—you can’t make life-and-death decisions based on percentages. I once worked for a CEO who had swilled Jack Welch’s Kool-Aid. He told the managers: “You’ve got to get rid of the bottom-performing ten percent of your workforce every year.” On my staff, that would have meant amputating arms and legs because we didn’t exactly have a quorum.

The CEO eventually grew up. He came to realize that the people in the top 90% may be the ones who know how to play the game—that the real creativity might be found in the bottom tier. And he determined that it doesn’t do much for teamwork, as the Financial Times noted.

I’m not sure Jack Welch ever grew up.

But back to Les Gore. His article paraphrases a piece in Guide to Human Resources at About.com. But he does it in his own inimitable way. For example, he notes that “the person who is being laid off is about to undergo a confidence and foundation shattering experience.”

Here’s another observation: “The sooner your employees know about your business problems and that layoffs may be coming, the easier it will be to win their trust and strengthen the morale of your remaining workforce.”

Want to subscribe? Here’s the link.

And here’s the link to his company Web site.

The most compelling subject line I’ve ever seen? “You’re fired.” I’ve been sacked in strange ways, but never by e-mail, and you can be damned sure I opened it.

But it turned out to be Les Gore’s Recruiting Report, and the article was on how to discharge a subordinate. Les, a direct marketer recruiter, sent it to me unsolicited, but I read it because it was interesting in a ghoulish way—like reading about how to administer a lethal injection. And I subscribed to the e-letter.

Well, Les has returned to that topic, and it’s a timely one given the layoffs going on.

Are you a manager facing an unpleasant decision? Here’s a couple of tips on how to conduct a layoff. Do it early in the week, with as much dignity as you can. “Don’t even think about a mass meeting, telephone conference call, or an e-mail,” Les writes. “Your people deserve more than that from you.”

Also, provide a generous severance package—say, one or two weeks of pay for each year the person has worked for you. You’re much less likely to run into legal hassles.

Above all, Les urges you to think it through. Cutting jobs may not be the answer.

“There should be a business case made for each layoff,” he continues. “Some companies eliminate shifts. Other companies have all the employees take an unpaid day every two weeks. Be creative.”

He adds: “Eliminating a position, such as all clerical employees, and shifting the work to the managers and staff is as routine as telling each department they must downsize by 10%. While seeming ‘fair,’ this may be bad for your business because essential positions will be done away with.”

Good point—you can’t make life-and-death decisions based on percentages. I once worked for a CEO who had swilled Jack Welch’s Kool-Aid. He told the managers: “You’ve got to get rid of the bottom-performing ten percent of your workforce every year.” On my staff, that would have meant amputating arms and legs because we didn’t exactly have a quorum.

The CEO eventually grew up. He came to realize that the people in the top 90% may be the ones who know how to play the game—that the real creativity might be found in the bottom tier. And he determined that it doesn’t do much for teamwork, as the Financial Times noted.

I’m not sure Jack Welch ever grew up.

But back to Les Gore. His article paraphrases a piece in Guide to Human Resources at About.com. But he does it in his own inimitable way. For example, he notes that “the person who is being laid off is about to undergo a confidence and foundation shattering experience.”

Here’s another observation: “The sooner your employees know about your business problems and that layoffs may be coming, the easier it will be to win their trust and strengthen the morale of your remaining workforce.”

Want to subscribe? Here’s the link.

And here’s the link to his company Web site.