Not all employees are star performers, but with potential turnover costs of up to 150% of a person’s annual salary, sometimes taking the time to get a team member back on track is worth it. Before hitting the ground running with performance improvement plans, calling them out in front of their coworkers, or sharing your disappointment, lean into coaching to inspire change that can improve performance.
Ask Questions First
There’s always a reason when an employee’s job performance slips, so start by asking questions to pinpoint the source. Is this individual fully equipped to do their job with excellence? Has anything changed to make the role more challenging? Is it even about work, or are they facing a personal challenge?
Have a conversation to check-in with the underperforming employee to identify the problem. If it’s a personal situation, they may be reluctant to share it with you, so show patience and respect if that seems to be the case. If you can identify an issue, take steps to resolve it quickly and share the solution with your employee.
Clarify Your Expectations
If someone isn’t meeting performance goals, you may need to remind them of your expectations. There’s no need to beat around the bush when an employee is falling short–and there’s no need to be overly critical of someone who is struggling–but acknowledging a lack of productivity and communicating measures of success for their role and the business goals they contribute to can encourage change. Underperformance is serious and your words, tone, and action should reflect that.
Step Up as a Mentor
Underperformers need support and guidance to improve. You can mentor them by building a trusting relationship, reframing their mistakes as learning opportunities, and offering feedback. Creating an environment where an underperforming employee can be honest about their contributions to the team and be held accountable to aim higher can be a great growing experience. Looking to you as a mentor during this time can improve your working relationship while teaching you both.
Improvement isn’t always an option. Sometimes, low performance stems from an employee simply being in the wrong role. Should your working relationship end after you’ve tried to coach their underperformance and they’ve tried to improve, you can part ways amicably knowing you both gave your best given the circumstances.
