Employers are often reluctant to fire workers. They need to offer severance packages and risk having the employee accuse the company of discrimination or prejudice for letting them go. It’s among the worst, most uncomfortable tasks for a human resources professional or manager. Supervisors may want to avoid conflict with employees. Nudging them to leave of their own volition can be a way for companies to manage their workforce and reduce costs.

In behavioral economics, a “nudge” is a gentle prompt that influences people’s behavior. It refers to how HR and business leaders can use gentle cues to encourage employees to behave in a specific manner—like investing in their pension, exceeding deadlines, participating in feedback surveys or pushing a worker out the door.