When you have an employee who isn’t doing their job properly it can have a huge impact on team performance and morale. There are several steps which a manager can take to manage poor performance and improve things.
- Make sure there is a culture of regular feedback or supervision with your team. Waiting until the end of year performance review isn’t going to help. Bringing things to an individual’s attention (both good and bad) in a timely manner before things have escalated or festered will help. This may also encourage the individual to tell you about any issues which could be affecting their performance
- Look at the work in detail and identify exactly what is going wrong. Is the individual incapable or are they deliberately making errors because there is a problem?
- Talk to the employee about your concerns in a constructive and positive manner. Once they themselves understand there is a performance gap, they may know what they need to improve, so ask the individual what support they need to deliver in their role. Document these conversations and the support you put into place
- Offer training or other support, depending on the individual’s needs. This could vary from one to one coaching for more senior team members, to a simple online course for others. Document any offers of support and the outcomes you expect to see.
If you have tried these steps and there is little or no change, you may need to take a more structured or formal route…
Formal warnings
If you have tried these steps and there is little or no change, you may need to issue a formal warning. Along with the warning you should set clear targets for performance and any other support you are putting into place. Make it clear that a lack of improvement could lead to a further warning and ultimately to dismissal.
Document any formal warnings in the following ways; send an invitation to the meeting in advance, including any information to be used in making a decision on whether to issue a warning and the right to be accompanied. Take notes of the meeting – there are apps which record and transcribe as people speak (we’re currently trialling Otter.ai). The outcome of the meeting needs to be in writing and include the right to appeal.
Dismissal
If things don’t change then capability can be a fair reason to dismiss, providing you have a series of documented conversations and warnings, along with evidence that you have taken time to try to help the individual improve. This is even more important if they are long serving.
If you do have a procedure in place in your organisation, it’s important to follow it.
This type of dismissal is rarely straight forward, and as each case will have different circumstances we would always advise you to seek professional support at an early stage.
Redway HR are available to advise in cases of poor performance and can help and guide you through the process. Get in touch today.
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