All managers occasionally have to deal with an employee who is under-performing.
You hired an individual who seemed promising—and perhaps they started out this way—but suddenly their job performance has become weaker and weaker. Whether it’s a question of skills, motivation, or focus, an employee who is regularly performing poorly on the job can have a significant long-term impact on your company.
Here are some of the best ways to help turn an employee’s performance around.
Don’t Over Exaggerate.
The most important thing to keep in mind when you’re dissatisfied with an employee’s work is to think before you speak. Don’t immediately respond aggressively or with anger. Yelling is usually a highly ineffective strategy. Rather, take your time and choose your words carefully. Have a plan before you approach them. If you yell excessively at your employee and begin listing off their many shortcomings, you’ll instantly regret it.
Understand Your Company’s Standards.
In order to explain to your employee how exactly they’re under-performing, you need to fully understand where you’re setting the bar. What does your ideal performance look like? How are you measuring employee success? Having a clear understanding of what good performance means for your organization will make it much easier to discuss your employee’s situation with them.
Give a Time Limit.
It’s perfectly understandable for a new employee to take a little time to get used to their new environment. That said, if you feel that it’s been long enough and an employee is still under-performing—or, similarly, if a long-term team member’s performance has suddenly slipped and is showing no signs of improvement—you need to give yourself a limit for how long you’re willing to put up with the behavior before intervening. Whether it’s a week, two weeks or a full month, decide how long you will wait and then act accordingly once the time is up.
Ask Yourself: What am I Willing to Do?
So you’ve waited and conditions still haven’t improved. Now it’s time to decide what type of assistance you’re willing to provide. Are you okay with providing resources or additional training to help your employee improve their performance? Are you willing to closely monitor them for the next few months? Is it time to have a difficult conversation regarding what happens if their performance doesn’t improve? Decide once and for all what your terms are and then broach the subject with your employee in a calm, civil manner.
Looking for more tips on how to deal with employee underperformance?
Contact PrideStaff Dallas Today!
