Employees are valuable assets for any business. They are the backbone of the entire business model, and it is needless to say, their performance has a huge impact on the success of the organization. This makes it essential for managers and business owners to closely monitor employees’ performance and find ways to improve it.
During the employee performance management process, one of the common challenges faced by employers is to address poor performance issues. There is no denying that in every organization there are both types of employees, i.e., overachievers and underperformers.
Though there can be various reasons for employees’ poor performance, taking measures to help them improve is quite important. Here are a few ways that employers can adopt to encourage underperforming employees to perform to the best of their abilities.
However, before we get started, let’s take a look at what is meant by “underperformance” and how to identify underperforming employees.
What is referred to as underperformance?
Underperformance is reflective of a lack of employee performance while handling day-to-day job responsibilities. It is when the employee is unable to meet the desired or set benchmarks in terms of achieving professional as well as organizational goals. In other words, the quality of the work is below the required level or the expected standards.
Poor performance of the employees not only influences organizational growth but also has a profound effect on the rest of the workforce. Therefore, it is essential to address employee performance management issues at the earliest.
The following are some of the key pointers to identifying underperforming employees among the workforce:
- Showing decreased productivity in the workplace
- Constantly failing to meet set objectives and goals
- Taking longer than expected to finish their responsibilities
- Not providing quality work or results
- Unable to work and collaborate with the team
Tips to deal with the poor performance of the employees
- Identify the underlying causes
The first step is to know and understand the reasons responsible for the poor performance of employees. For example, if the skill set of the employee doesn’t match the employee’s job role, it is expected to witness decreased productivity.
Thus, make sure the job alignment is done by considering the skills and interests of the employees. Likewise, there can be other reasons, such as lack of motivation, unavailable resources, inadequate training opportunities, and other factors.
- Create a plan of action
Once the reasons for poor performance have been identified, strategizing a plan of action will help the employees perform better. This might include measures like providing the underperforming employees with personalized training opportunities, reassigning workload if needed; setting small targets to be achieved in a project within a dedicated timeline; and so on. Moreover, try to include recommendations from employees in the plan to gain maximum benefits.
- Provide regular feedback
Feedback is a crucial component of both the personal and professional development of an individual. Providing regular feedback on performance to employees helps them to identify areas of improvement and their progress towards achieving the goals. Employers must be very careful to ensure sharing of constructive feedback that leads to significant development in skills. Also, at the time of giving the feedback, make sure to clarify the expectations in terms of plan outcomes.
- Praise achievements and progress
To keep underperforming employees motivated, praising small achievements can make a big difference. This will also have a positive impact on employee engagement in the organization. Furthermore, many companies implement reward and recognition policies to make sure that the efforts of employees are being addressed. Thus, it can prove to be effective in helping employees enhance their productivity.
- Revisit goals and objectives
To ensure long-term success, it is important to find out that the right performance goals are assigned. These goals should be specific, easily measured ], achievable and relevant to the job role. Employers can take help from performance management platforms to align organizational and team objectives and enhance workflow transparency.
Final Words
Dealing with underperforming employees might be overwhelming for business owners. However, to avoid the consequences of poor performance on business growth and development, the right measures should be taken before it’s too late.
By following the aforementioned strategies, managers can successfully deal with underperforming employees and help them improve their performance. Besides, employers must ensure they provide the necessary resources and access to technological tools to encourage employees to work harder and achieve their goals.
