Managing poor performance is a tricky and complicated process for a lot of employers. Unfortunately, a lot of employers get it wrong or find themselves in a situation where their emotions get the best of them and they say or do something that leaves them in a vulnerable situation.
Sometimes, it is frustrating for employers, as they have worked hard to support the employee, but performance hasn’t shifted to the right levels.
Here are a few tips for when you start experiencing performance issues:
- Check and make sure your employee is ok. Do they have things happening outside of work that are impacting their performance? If they do, do they need some time out to get it sorted?
- Offer them counseling or establish a support structure in your workplace. Sometimes, as the boss, not everyone is willing to share. You need to be aware of that and not to take it personally.
- Don’t be afraid to have honest conversations and point out the impact someone’s performance is having on the team and the business. This is where strong leadership is important.
- Address things straight away, don’t leave them to linger, and then fester. The quicker you address an issue the better.
- Make a note and follow up with an email and let them know you will be sending them an email. This helps reset things and sets expectations on performance. It also starts your documentation process, so that you have a trail and timeline of when you first started addressing things.
- When addressing any performance issues, stick to the facts (what happened, when, impact) and be precise about the issue you are raising.
- Stay away from hearsay or any other issues you haven’t addressed directly with them.
- Make sure you check your process for managing poor performance. You will need to follow your own process.
Managing performance is not always easy, if you get stuck or need help to start one or have started one and need help, please contact your Hello Monday HR Consultant and they will help you through the process. It will save you a lot of headache and stress and possibly an expensive personal grievance. You can also email us at hello@hellomonday.co.nz or call us on 09 377 5200 with any questions.