Addressing the Performance Gap. (Follow up to 'Why Evaluate' Article)

To follow up on last month’s  article, ‘Why Evaluate’, have you ever managed an employee and found that a performance gap existed between your expectations and that of the employee’s performance or behavior? For example an employee clings to mediocre performance versus the high expectations you have for theemployee. Maybe it is an employee whose skills and abilities don’t match well with the job, the employee has a toxic attitude, or an employee who once was a great performer but has since fallen into bad habits. Following are a few suggestions to close the gap.

Review your management style. Presenting management expectations in a positive, constructive manner, can go a long way in producing positive, constructive results. Describe to the employee what their performance would look like when you envision your expectations. Follow up with documentation. When the results are still not as expected, a good corrective action plan can assist in redirecting wayward employees. The corrective action plan puts in writing the performance expectations and should engage the employee to self-assess by this serious, but respectful wake up call.  If these steps are not effective, let the employee know their employment is at the critical stage. Recap previous discussions and provide specific examples of the gaps in performance and behavior. If the employment relationship must end, the discharge should not be a surprise and should be easy to explain. Consequently, it is much less likely to produce anger and hostility on the part of the terminated employee.

Submitted by Susan Barta, Central SD SHRM

To view a template of a corrective action plan, go to http://centralsd.shrm.org

Central SD SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) strives to enhance your knowledge in the area of human resources and provide you with avenues to help you stay current on the latest human resources and employment law trends. For more information or to inquire on membership go to our website at http://centralsd.shrm.orgor email us at CentralSHRM@pie.midco.net