Tired of employees procrastinating? Missing deadlines? Making excuses?
Time to take the proverbial bull by the horns.
Employee performance problems rarely go away on their own. To consistently get the best from your team, address performance issues early and directly:
1. Limit excuses. Eliminate “finger pointing” by removing the external factors on which employees often blame their poor performance:
- Give employees the resources, tools, time and support they need to do their jobs.
- Ensure employees are properly trained to do their jobs.
- Set clear goals and performance expectations, using the job description, as well as departmental and organizational goals, as guidelines.
2. Ask the right questions. When performance issues arise, determine the root cause before creating a plan to remedy it:
- Could a lack of time, resources, training or job skills be causing the employee to under-perform?
- Does the employee clearly understand what’s expected of them?
- Does the employee feel like a valued member of the organization who is fairly compensated for the work they perform?
3. Make performance management an everyday activity. Instead of viewing it as an annual “event,” incorporate performance management into your daily activities:
- Provide frequent, timely feedback about what your employees are doing right – and how they could improve.
- Discuss tough projects and tight timelines candidly with your team before deadlines or targets are missed – so you can proactively address and remedy performance issues.
- Foster a “performance mentality” in your organization by regularly showing employees why their efforts matter – and what’s at stake.
4. Increase workplace flexibility to boost performance.
Flexible work options are a great way to reduce stress, improve productivity and enhance performance. In fact, a recent Harvard Business Review article stated that companies with employees displaying “high levels of freedom” in their relationships were up to 20 times more likely to outperform organizations with low freedom scores.
The 2014 National Workplace Flexibility Study provides additional data to support the link between work flex and team performance. The study shows that, among managers who implemented work flex strategies: 55 percent experienced improved team communication; 53 percent had improved team interaction; 41 percent saw increased understanding of performance goals by their team; and 20 percent reported improved productivity.
If your organization wants to offer greater flexibility to your employees, Corps Team is here to help. We’ll support your team when they need time away from work, alleviating work-life conflicts that can contribute to performance issues.
Contact your local Corps Team office to learn more about our flexible professional staffing and search solutions.
