You've known for months who needs to go. The documentation feels thin. The conversation you keep rehearsing never sounds right.
In this episode, staffing CEO Bill Kasko, who built Frontline Source Group to 31 locations over 25 years, breaks down why most termination problems are actually hiring problems. He shares the single interview question that reveals more about a candidate than nine rounds of interviews, explains why firing a top producer actually increased revenue, and outlines the specific conversations founders should be having long before the termination meeting. Hosts Chris Franks, Anthony Franco, and Stephanie Hays dig into the real difference between corporate-style firings and how founder-led companies should handle exits, why zero terminations should surprise an employee, and the social media risks that come with botching the process.
Whether you're avoiding your first termination or recovering from a bad one, this episode gives you the playbook for exits that protect your culture, your reputation, and your team.
A staffing company had a producer generating millions in annual revenue. She called in sick constantly, showed up late, left early, and once claimed four flat tires in a single month. The rest of the team watched every exemption happen. When she was finally fired, revenue didn't drop. It went up. The remaining team stopped carrying resentment and started producing at the level they'd been holding back. The distraction was gone, and output followed.
Most founders delay terminations because the documentation feels thin. But Bill Kasko, who has spent 25 years placing and replacing talent across 31 offices, argues the documentation deficit traces directly back to conversations that never happened. "Did you talk to them? No, I haven't talked to them" is the exchange he hears most when founders call about a problem employee. The paper trail you wish you had starts with the discussion you avoided.
The fix starts well before anyone is underperforming. Every hire should include questions that go beyond skills and into character. Kasko flips resumes over and asks candidates to talk about growing up with their parents. It's not a trick. It reveals how someone handles adversity, builds relationships, and tells their own story. Skills can be taught in days, especially with modern technology. Character arrives on day one or it doesn't arrive at all.
Bureau of Labor Statistics data puts average employee tenure between 1.9 and 2.9 years. The old social contract, where employees stayed for decades and companies guaranteed stability, ended somewhere around 2020. Founders who still expect five-year commitments are building retention strategies on a foundation that no longer exists. The better frame: every role is a chapter. People come in, contribute, and eventually the fit changes. Neither a departure nor a termination is a failure if you've been honest along the way.
That honesty has to start early. Chris Franks, co-host on the episode, admits his biggest mistake was never telling employees the role had changed or the company's needs had shifted. He surprised people with the decision and put them in a position of fear. Both are preventable with ongoing conversations about fit, direction, and expectations.
In founder-led companies under ten employees, the termination process has to match the intimacy of the hiring process. Corporate exits, security escorts and scripted meetings, exist for organizations with hundreds of employees and genuine safety concerns. In a small company, they're humiliation. And humiliated ex-employees write Glassdoor reviews and social media posts where founders have zero recourse and complete exposure.
The throughline: clean terminations start months before the conversation happens. Fix the hiring. Have the ongoing talks. Fire with the same personal investment you hired with. Your team is watching how you handle this, and both keeping a problem too long and cutting someone without process erode trust. Only one of those options builds it.
Watch the Full Episode on Employee Termination with expert Bill Kasko below:
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