You work hard to assemble a team of employees that is poised to drive productivity and generate results. Yet despite hiring the best talent and assembling the most qualified team, performance issues can creep up.
Addressing poor performance properly is essential.
When you identify performance issues, addressing and resolving them is critical to your short- and long-term success. Poor performance not only impacts the offending employee’s productivity, but it can be a drain on corporate culture, employee morale, and productivity across the board.
Following are three tips to help you handle performance issues:
1. Understand the cause. In order to solve the performance issue, you’ll need to understand the root of the problem. Is the employee simply slacking? Perhaps you haven’t defined the requirements of the position properly? Incorrectly diagnosing the issue can lead to larger problems down the line, so take the time and effort now to understand what is causing the issue.
2. Devise a plan. Once you have identified the problem that is resulting in poor performance, devise a plan to tackle and resolve the issue promptly, and with minimal impact on other employees. Some questions to ask when devising your plan include:
* Have you looked at your business’ motivation system? Are you recognizing employees for their accomplishments?
* Do you regularly set goals for your employees, and meet to determine whether they have been met?
* Do you provide ample opportunity for your employees to add to their education and skill sets?
3. Be honest, but supportive, when discussing poor performance with the employee. Your employee may already understand that his or her performance is sub-par, or your assessment could come as a total surprise. Be prepared for either event, and act professional and supportive during the meeting. Do not mention any issues in front of other employees, and be sure to provide specific examples of areas that are below expectations.
Struggling to find top performers?
Here at Pinnacle, we only work with the most talented and skilled professionals in Winnipeg. We’ll help find the right employee to help you meet your organizational goals.
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