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A CEO based in Colorado has come under fire on social media after posting about having fired his first employee, accompanied by a selfie in which he was smiling.
Matthew Baltzell, founder and CEO of CAP X MEDIA (formerly Elite Podcast Bookings) posted about his experience on LinkedIn, sharing reflections on the tricky experience of letting his worker go.
“Handling an employee’s exit can either strengthen or weaken your company culture,” he wrote.
Baltzell’s four-step process included a ten-minute meeting to handle the firing, during which he offered one week’s pay for each year of work, and to provide a future job reference.
He then says, in the hope of minimizing gossip, he informed the company’s other workers over Slack that the employee was no longer with the company—though provided the ex-employee’s contact information should anyone wish to reach out.
The post did not name the employee, their role, or even whether they worked for CAP X MEDIA.
Baltzell says in the post, which was accompanied with an selfie of him smiling, he was “clear and honest” during the process, handling his first firing “professionally and with grace.”
“This approach shows my team that if they ever have to leave, they'll be treated with respect, not discarded like trash,' he added.
Social media users slam CEO’s “insecure” post about firing
However, many on social media did not agree with his decision to share the experience on LinkedIn, criticizing his leadership style.
“I would never work for an individual that was so INSECURE about his own leadership that he had to share the semantics in his first firing experience,” said one LinkedIn user.
“Leaders don’t behave this way, you lose credibility in your philosophical beliefs and sound like a gossiping holier-than-thou brat,” they continued.
“Typical linkedin drivel,” another added.
One user pointed out the photo was in bad taste, writing: “Once you do it I a hundred times you won’t smile for the pic. Don’t feel so proud.”
Some users, though, did come out in favor of Baltzell’s post, arguing his approach ticked all the boxes of an effective layoff process.
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“Your approach to handling the employee termination with transparency and respect is commendable,” a LinkedIn user commented.
“Having a structured outline for future conversations furthers the process,” echoed another.
The viral post made its way onto other social media platforms including X and Threads.
“Imagine getting fired, heading over to LinkedIn, and seeing this,” an X user commented.
The incident draws parallels with a viral LinkedIn post in 2022 in which Braden Wallake, the CEO of social media marketing agency Hyper Social, posted a photo of himself crying after having to make layoffs to his team.
