How to deal with and manage poor performance in the workplace

In a well-organized business, every role is vital. Each component has its place and the responsibilities performed ensure significant success for the entire company. Which is why any dip in performance quality, will have a major impact, and needs to be addressed quickly.

When it comes to managing poor performance, tact, honesty, and compassion are key.

And the process starts with a single question: what is your desired outcome? Is it to simply jettison the struggling employee, initiating languorous hiring and onboarding stages? Or is it to ascertain the cause of these struggles, and then find and present solutions to get your worker back to an optimum state?

But the road to recovery isn’t always instinctive or straightforward. For anyone managing an individual or a team, knowing how to improve poor performance can be a minefield of unknown elements. Which is why we have assembled a list of techniques and performance management tips that will provide clear steps to improve employee effectiveness, productivity, and performance.

How to manage poor performance

Poor performance isn’t limited to inferior output. It can take the form of subpar time management that leads to lateness, deadlines missed, and absenteeism. It can also manifest as conflicts between co-workers and an overall lack of respect. And, of course, this isn’t limited to entry-level employees, we also see poor performance from those in managerial roles, which can have a knock-on effect on everyone sat below them in the company hierarchy.

Managing and correcting poor performance, starts by identifying the warning signs. The earlier you catch a downward trajectory in performance, the faster you can rectify it.

1. Identify the issue

This step may feel obvious but it’s the difference between a manager who is able to correct a situation before it gets out of hand, and one who is suddenly caught off guard when a deterioration starts to spiral.

Nobody wants to feel constantly judged or assessed, so it’s hard to strike a balance between being dutiful and mindful of how your employees are performing, without coming across as oppressive or micromanaging. What’s more, it’s not a pleasant task for managers either, who may want to give the worker in question the benefit of the doubt, in the hope the problem will simply correct itself.

But having the courage and wherewithal to address any issues early on, is the first step to getting your staff back on track, and in a much happier, more productive place.

2. Address the issue fairly

It’s very likely that an employee with poor performance is acting in an intentional or malicious way. In fact, they may not even realize their output is suffering. Subsequently, broaching the subject with an underperforming member of staff must be conducted with due sensitivity. Going back to what we outlined earlier, your desired outcome is to diagnose the problem and offer solutions, not tear into an employee for not meeting standards.

Being frank, open, and honest, about the work an employee is delivering in a calm manner, signals that you are not on the attack. It indicates that you are looking for options to help the worker as much as you are looking to improve the company’s overall performance. This offers assurance that this assessment is not only about cold hard facts and figures, but addressing the human at the center of it all.

3. Officially document the process

Forms and documents can intimidate an underperforming employee but it’s a vital part of managing poor performance. As such, it’s good to understand and explain that documenting the process is not a black mark that will follow them around for their career, but the metric by which the manager can monitor improvement and growth.

On the flipside, it also acts as a safety net for the manager, to highlight that they have identified and addressed the issue in a timely and respectful manner. Moreover, it can be used for that manager’s professional growth, to identify where they struggle with their role as an advisor. Which can be improved upon at a later date.

4. Ask the right questions

Getting to the root of the problem cannot be done by making assumptions. Managers can observe all the symptoms and warning signs, but the cause of poor performance is locked within the employee themselves. This is why it’s important to ask the right questions. Simply demanding to know “what’s wrong?” or “what’s changed?” puts a great deal of pressure on the employee to self-analyze.

Instead, the questions asked must come from a place of genuine concern for your worker’s wellbeing. And being able to verify whether the problem is external (I.e., a personal matter, unrelated to the job itself) or a part of their assigned responsibilities, can quickly dictate how the rest of the meeting will unfold.

5. Promote accountability

Having identified the reason for poor performance, pivoting to the impact of the employee’s actions is a delicate one. What’s needed here, is a blameless look at the domino effect and this illustration must be done with extreme care. Rather than a guilt trip or beratement, this is an opportunity to highlight to your staff that they have a place and presence within the wider community.

What’s more, this detailing of the repercussions and level of support is designed to inspire. It allows the employee to step up, and take ownership of their growth and improvement. Which, in the long term, will instill a sense of pride, satisfaction, and achievement; as well as acting as a roadmap for keeping on track in future.

6. Recognize their current strengths

A wholly negative assessment can have just as much of a detrimental effect on the employee, as whatever they have been battling internally. There’s nothing worse than finding out your poor performance has been noticed and documented, only to walk away feeling despondent and hopeless.

For managers looking to improve poor performance, showing appreciation for a worker’s strengths, or acknowledging their previous victories and successes, does wonders for confidence. This boost of morale might just be the injection of energy and motivation that encourages the employee to turn things around. More than surface level compliments or hollow platitudes, you are establishing an ideal for this employee to strive for, knowing it is a place they have already been in the past.

7. Reposition if necessary

Before undertaking the process of building a path to improvement, now is the time to ask another big question. Is the job the employee currently sits in, the right fit? There’s no sense forcing an outcome that will not manifest, but losing a valuable resource is also not an enviable conclusion.

Through honest feedback and transparency, it could transpire that an alternative position within the organization is more amenable. By discussing these options, a manager can remind the employee that this assessment goes beyond managing poor performance, and is genuinely about aligning the work offered with the employee’s personal strengths, skills, and abilities. Additionally, it has the added bonus of retaining a strong and familiar worker that is put to better use in a different role.

8. Draw up a performance improvement plan

When it has been agreed that your underperforming employee has the desire to improve, the next stage of managing poor performance, is to develop a performance improvement plan. This is your opportunity to present realistic goals, and provide the necessary tools to achieve them.

These targets must take into account what has been uncovered, and workers cannot feel like they are being setup to fail. Knowing their objective is not only attainable but within reach, will motivate them to deliver their best. And offering the requisite tools to meet these expectations, will reinforce that integral sense of belief and trust.

9. Follow up and support

Rather than pushing the employee toward the finish line with a meagre “good luck”, managers looking to improve poor performance must understand their role as a buttress. Using performance management tech to monitor the employee’s levels of improvement and progress is essential to ensuring they reach their goals. For their own benefit, as well as that of the entire organization.

It may be that the employee needed minimal prompting and encouragement, and hits their intended growth deadlines early. In these instances, it’s wise to reward the employee but also to push them further if necessary. Allowing them to go beyond simply returning to form, and exceling to new heights. Alternatively, despite best efforts, the employee could still be struggling, and in these moments, it’s up to the manager to reassess the performance improvement plan to see where it can be adjusted.

The benefits of managing poor performance

By adhering to this performance management checklist, you will have not only helped an employee get back to an optimal place of operation, you will have formed benefits which go beyond that.

Successful management of poor performance demonstrably improves productivity and effectiveness. This alleviates pressure from the wider team by avoiding a transition period through the dismissal process and onboarding of new staff. It also subtly communicates to others that if they are struggling or facing issues, there are processes in place to assist.

And for the employee in question, you will have unlocked and harnessed a source of potential. Not only to deliver on their daily targets and KPIs but inspiring them to see the possibility within and go beyond their comfort zones. All while cementing and legitimizing an earned feeling of trust and commitment between worker and manager.

For details on the international festival of HR, check out the UNLEASH America 2023 agenda.