Every organization, despite its best efforts in recruiting, hiring, and motivating employees, invariably faces the problem of low performance employees. We all know the signs … tasks which get done, but seldom on time and usually poorly done; absenteeism and tardiness creeping up; and managers who gradually shift some of that person’s workload to other, higher-performing workers.
When I was a manager, I struggled with the same issues. As the newly appointed Director of Human Resources at another company location, I inherited a couple of low performers. Perhaps like you, at times I wished these low performers would just disappear; but, they didn’t for me any more than they will for you. They just seem to hang on and on, doing just enough to get by, staying below the radar. In some circles, this condition is labeled “presenteeism” and, quite frankly, having these low performance employees at work may be costing you more than if you paid them to stay home! Top performers, saddled with the extra load of carrying dead weight, may simply choose to move on; or worse, start slacking off themselves. So, what can you do to solve this dilemma? Here are five key steps to change the performance pace in your organization.
1. Identify the problem in clear, measurable terms. If you’ve been meaning to set performance standards for each job in your area, now is the time. Absenteeism, tardiness, missed productivity levels, and/or timeline delays could all become part of a set of performance standards (although you will be well-advised to set these standards in their more positive polar opposite verbiage). Prior to meeting with both of my low performers, I’d documented specific examples of their short comings.
2. When I met with each of my low performing employees, we talked through the examples of their poor performance. I made it very clear to them where their performance regularly fell short and what the specific expectations were for future performance. Together we identified what changes needed to be made, by when, and then documented each item. Both employees clearly understood they were being placed on probation and as part of that process they were responsible for scheduling short weekly meetings with me over the next three months so we could track their progress and improvements. Throughout the discussion I emphasized that I was there to help them succeed, that my role was to provide them with the tools and/or additional training they needed, to run interference for them when necessary, and to support them as a coach and mentor (sure wish I’d had access to the PXT Select assessment at that time so I could have done a better job of coaching). It was clearly communicated that at the end of three months there were only three possible outcomes: Best outcome would be their performance had risen to an acceptable level and they would be taken off probation. A second outcome could be that despite their best efforts they simply were in the wrong job and we would look for alternative opportunities within (or outside) the company. The third outcome would be they could either resign or be terminated for failure to perform.
3. Work your plan, and here, execution is the key. As previously noted, I made it the responsibility of each of my two employees to schedule a weekly meeting with me so we could track their performance and I could provide them clear feedback. That way they would know if our mutually set expectations were not being met because they would be given that feedback immediately. While it was my hope to see each of these employees improve their performance, it became very clear in one case I was simply documenting the path to the door. Either way, timely feedback, action on promised consequences, and consistent application are your key to solving the problem.
4. Document your process. One successful manager said, “The most expensive time an employee is on my payroll is the interval between when I decide to fire them and when they go out the door.” Because firing someone, especially someone who has been with the organization for a long time, is very painful and you may find yourself procrastinating. Your delay at this stage can only compound the damage. To ignore a consistently low-performing employee is to ensure your operations will never be as good as they could be. While documenting each step of the process was time consuming, it was absolutely necessary in order to make sure you’ve been as fair as possible in dealing with any employee.
5. Take Action. If you’ve followed steps one through four, you’re ready to make the necessary decisions for the good of your company, the employee themself, and other employees affected by their poor performance. As I’ve already implied, one employee was able to successfully come off probation and he later told me he really appreciated the fact that I cared enough to hold his feet to the fire. The other employee, as you may have guessed, turned in his resignation two weeks prior to the end of his probation period.
Of course, when it is time to hire a replacement employee, we would all like to avoid replicating the departed one! This then is an opportunity for you to improve your selection process through the use of a valid, reliable, and predictive assessment which provides open-ended behavioral based interviews. When coupled with a structured hiring process and information from reference and background checks, you have a far better chance of adding a top performer to your organization instead of someone who drains you and everyone else of time and energy.
Studies have shown top performers, in nearly any organization, will out-produce low performers by anywhere from 200 to 900 percent! Simply put, your low performing employees are costing your organization money. Imagine the effect on your company if you could replace one low performer with a top performer. Then, imagine you did it again and again. The good news: You can and we can help you!
So, are you serious about improving the overall performance of your organization? If so, we’d like to help you. For those who call or email, we’ll provide you with two complementary PXT Select assessments – one for an employee in your organization who is struggling and one for their manager so he/she can better coach them.