Additional Training

In some (but by no means all) situations, the employees underperformance may be through no fault of their own, and they may as a result require extra training in order to reach the standard of skills and competency stipulated in their goals.

Checklists

Depending on the type of problem employee you have, you may find checklists to be of use. These are particularly useful for problem staff who struggle with their timekeeping and priorities, it allows them to stay focused on each task and organise their workload.

Positive Reinforcement

Having already been highlighted for doing something wrong, it is essential you redress the balance when the employee’s performance improves. Positive reinforcement – telling the employee you’re pleased with their work can make someone’s day, improve their happiness at a company and – most importantly – make them more likely to deliver a repeat performance. Let them know that this is the sort of thing you’ve been hoping for.

Set a Period of Evaluation

One of the most important areas of dealing with problem staff is setting a period of evaluation. Put in writing the problem, the improvements you hope to see made, and the timeline for this. Close with the disciplinary actions that will be taken if things are not improved (and maintained) – all the way up to dismissal if there is no improvement.

Whatever you do, don’t just make firing your employees your automatic response to poor staff performance! You need to work with the employees to try and resolve issues, and give them fair warning that their job is in danger, otherwise you are leaving yourself wide open for litigation. It may seem a lot of work, and easier just to let it slide initially, but failure to act early will cause the problem to get worse and worse, and potentially for discontent to spread within the office environment. Follow this procedure when managing poor performance, and there’s no reason why your productivity shouldn’t recover from the slight dip!

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