A Colorado-based businessman angered social media users after smiling in a selfie in a post about the firing of one of his employees.
Mateo Baltzell He posted a photo of himself smiling at his desk last week on LinkedIn and revealed that he had fired his first employee.
The entrepreneur and influencer used the LinkedIn post to explain what he learned after firing the now-former employee.
Baltzell said, “Handling an employee’s departure can strengthen or weaken your company’s culture.”
Baltzell founded Elite Podcast Bookings in May 2020 before changing its name to CAP X MEDIA last March.
Matthew Baltzell, a Colorado-based entrepreneur, angered social media after posting a smiling selfie on LinkedIn a week after firing an employee.
Baltzell used the LinkedIn post to give a structured explanation about what he learned after firing the now-former employee.
Denver-based Baltzell described CAP X MEDIA on LinkedIn as a company that “helps real estate investors build their brand and raise capital through digital means.”
The businessman did not identify the former employee or specify that he worked for CAP X MEDIA, but he did share other details.
Baltzell divided his explanation of the firing into four parts: a 10-minute meeting, a severance package, a recommendation and transparency.
He kept the meeting “short and direct” and confirmed that he gave “one week’s salary for each year of work.”
Baltzell said he offered to be the former employee’s reference for future employment.
Baltzell founded Elite Podcast Bookings in May 2020 before changing its name to CAP X MEDIA last March. The company is based in Denver.
Baltzell stated in his LinkedIn post that he “remained clear and honest” after firing his employee.
He explained that he notified other coworkers of what happened after the meeting with the former employee ended.
“I sent a message via Slack to inform everyone that the employee was no longer with us without providing details,” Baltzell wrote.
“I provided the former employee’s contact information to the team and encouraged them to reach out if they wished.”
The LinkedIn influencer decided to be open and honest with his team so they knew he respected their decisions about his future at the company.
“This approach shows my team that if they ever have to leave, they will be treated with respect, not thrown away like trash,” Baltzell wrote.
He added that the former employee handled his firing “professionally and with grace.”
While the former employee may have handled the firing with grace, LinkedIn and Threads users were less accepting of Baltzell’s methods and his choice of photography.
Baltzell sparked outrage, primarily on Threads
“I would never work for a person who was so insecure about their own leadership that they had to share the semantics of their first layoff experience,” wrote one LinkedIn user.
“Leaders don’t behave this way, you lose credibility in your philosophical beliefs and you sound like a gossipy, holier-than-thou brat.”
Another Threads user posted a screenshot of another negative comment on the LinkedIn post and wrote, “He should be the one who gets fired.”
However, some LinkedIn users appreciated the influencer’s post, with one person praising him for his handling of the situation.
“Your approach to handling the termination of an employee with transparency and respect is commendable,” one LinkedIn user commented on the post.
“Having a structured outline for future conversations promotes the process.”
