Simple tips for managing under performance

Managing underperformance can be a real frustration for managers and employers alike. When someone goes off the boil it can have an impact on their performance, but it can cal so affect those around them by setting a poor example.

Handling it can be tricky as sometime there is no one thing that would lead an employee to receiving a formal warning, but often its a series of small events such as an instance of lateness, poor quality work or inappropriate behaviour that lead to the feeling that the employee is not on board or not performing.

Using the disciplinary process is always appropriate as the matters may not be serious enough, it requires a formal process to be followed and can lead to making the situation worse as the employee feels demotivated as a consequence of being given a warning.

So what can you do to avoid a disciplinary hearing?

1. Remind the team of your policies and procedures

Often when an employee starts they are issued with the employee handbook that details what the organisations rules and procedures are.  However, do they read it again afterwards – probably not.  If you are seeing a trend in a certain type of behaviour or mistakes happening, take the time to write, review or redefine your policies and procedures  and reissue them to the team as whole.  The advantage of this is that its a gentle reminder of what is expected and should a mistake occur again you can then use an informal meeting or issue a yellow card (see below).

2. Tackle Problems Early

Don’t let issues build up, if an employee commits a mistake or an error or breaks a rule, simply having an informal 1-2-1 can help you to discuss why the issue arose, what its impact was and what you expect from the employee going forward.  Any meeting should be recorded in your diary just in case.

3. Issue a yellow card

If after reissuing the policies and holding a first informal meeting you are still seeing repeated occurrences of poor behaviour you can issue the employee with a letter of concern after a second informal meeting.  This is not a formal warning, is not governed by any ACAS process and is a letter from you to the employee stating what the issue was, what you expect from them and what will happen if the rule is broken again.  The advantage of this letter is that it can be given following an informal meeting as a hard reminder of what you expect from them, without having to go through a formal disciplinary procedure.  If there is a repeated offence then you are within your rights to use the disciplinary procedure.

4. Implement Performance Management

Performance management is a much over-used term these days, but in this context it refers to establishing a monitoring programme for the employee whose behaviour is causing concern.  The first step is to meet with the employee and discus the issue that concerns you.  In this meeting you should also say exactly what you expect from them and when it needs to happen from.  You also agree a series of review dates which can be daily, weekly or monthly depending on the issue.

This is the important part – by agreeing the review process you are effectively saying to the employee – this is a serious matter and you are going to keep an eye on it.  If during the review process the employee makes a further error then you could proceed to issue a letter of concern, should there be a further breach then it would lead to a disciplinary warning.

Performance management works under the principle of people do what you inspect not what you expect.

Final thoughts

It’s always better to avoid a disciplinary hearing wherever possible as this can lead to a serious breakdown in the relationship between you and your employee.  But, by following these steps you will give the employee ample chance to solve the issue themselves without having to implement formal action.  Should these steps not work then you would be within your rights to use the disciplinary process.

Always remember to make notes of any meeting you have with the employee just in case you need to undertake a disciplinary hearing later.