If you want to lay off an employee and it is required from you deliver this bad news; what you do?

1- Prepare: Speak to your supervisor or your HR manager and learn exactly why the position is being eliminated so you can explain it clearly and honestly.
Think carefully about the types of questions the employee might ask you; what is the employee's last day; have the last paycheck ready and whether there will be any end of service pay or benefits.
2- Call for meeting: Determine the exact date, time and a (private) location to announce the layoff to the employee.
Call the employee shortly before the meeting and ask him or her to meet with you.
3- Communicate: Without building up suspense, simply tell him or her that you have something very important to talk about.
Then, say the words.
Be very clear and concise.
Ambiguity will cause confusion.
Be calm, serious, and genuinely sympathetic.
4- Be ready for the reaction: Anticipate any variety of emotional reactions.
Be prepared to be supportive.
Listen to them without becoming defensive.
Answer any questions the employee has.
5- Documentations: Have a folder handy with any paperwork that needs to be signed (such as a termination letter or a severance agreement), and be sure to include information explaining how final paychecks will be handled.
You will need to obtain door keys, parking passes, ID badges, etc..
Make sure that all the policies and procedures are in accordance to the labor law and organizational policies.
6- Offer assistance: Offer to help in packing up personal belongings, including retrieving any personal information in their work computer.

1 - hold a special meeting with the employee2 - talk with the employee politely without insulting or offending3 - informed him of the dismissal and the reasons ...
and that this dismissal came after guidance, counseling and training, but without response4 - be ready to employee reaction5 - finish the meeting in a professional manner

I will be open to my employee; will share the purpose of the layoff; will also help him/her in finding something in the market or will refer him/her somewhere if the performance was not an issue and the layoffs are just because of restructuring in the organization.
Apologies make things less painful, so i guess on behalf of the management I will apologize to him/her for this painful departure.
At that time even a small hope is everything, so will assure him that he/she will definitely find something good.
And in case if he/she requires any recommendation or reference in the market I will be more than happy to serve.

1.
Get detail reason / cause of this lay off from management.
Also need to know is it permanent decision? If not then approximately for how long?2.
When & how the employee will get his/her outstanding salaries? Other than salaries what compensations employee will get from the management?3.
After getting the above information in details call the employee for a meeting in a relatively calm place.
Inform the employee about the management decision directly in a very polite way and do not forget to tell him / her that you are really feeling sorry for him.4.
If he/she react offensive, you take care that situation in a soft and smart way.5.
Ask him/her if he/she needs any help from employer such as transportation cost to shift a new place.6.
On the final day before hand over the final pay cheque and experience certificate from employer be sure to take back all the company properties which were with the employee.

I will invite the employee individually and thank him for the period and the effort to work with the company and explain to him the conditions indispensable in a good way with a certificate of experience grant period in which they work out

I had the unfortunate experience of having to inform some employees about a layoff during the tenure in an Indian Co.
It is imperative that one must empathize with those employees who are about to be layed off for reasons of structural changes or performance concerns.
One must also ensure that all legal and employment compliances are met before the process of Layoff begins.
I agree with all of Samars points above, however would like to add that the company must lend its support to place such employees in other companies or get recruitment partners to aid them in their search for a job.
This will bring about a good will for the Company even in an adverse situation.

Firing an employee is part of an HR persons job as much as he do Hiring.
these are related and someday you have to relay this message to any of the employees.
i always use the sandwich method which will help me and the guy to ease out the tension.
COVER THE BAD NEWS BETWEEN THE GOOD.
just like giving a360 degree feedback, relay the great things the employee has done, how the company is advancing, relay the bad news and why its been done though its hard, and then apreciate his work, contributions to the company, how the team would miss the person's inputs etc.
guess this will work.

Be honest and appreciate his work. Explain logical reason for layoff and rephrase the words like "laying off" with "letting you go" or "restructuring", "right sizing". It's about preparing the employee for this bad news as well as saving your organization's reputation and face.

 

As an additional step, if the employee is competent, try to help him getting a new job at personal capacity.

Firing people is awkward and uncomfortable, you must be very respectful and empathize with the person being fired.
Just try to put yourself in his shoes and think of what would make delivering the news easier; after all , we are all humans and we have feeling and emotions.

first appreciate his contribution and then give the rationale of layoff lastly you can told them you are going off.

Keep the mystery of the profession, and give him a report Normal to drop him.