Q: How do I deal with an employee who is not performing?

If you’re a longtime business owner with employees, you’ve likely dealt with this issue. (If not, you’re lucky - the personal side of business can be the hardest!)

The most important thing will be to call their attention to the issues so they have a chance to improve. The type of conversation you have will depend on whether this is the first time you’ve had issues or if there is a pattern.

When it’s the first time having an issue…

…it’s best to approach the situation with curiosity. It may be that they are dealing with personal issues, there are some work things you’re not seeing, or they are burnt out. You have a great opportunity to make a difference by approaching the situation collaboratively. Together you can work on a way forward - if that’s the best option. The conversation can look a little like this:

You: Hi (name), I’ve noticed that you’ve been late a lot lately and turning in your work half-finished. This isn’t typical of you, so I just wanted to check in and see if you’re doing okay.

Employee: Actually, I’ve been really stressed and feeling like the workload is more than I can handle lately. I haven’t been able to sleep because I’m really overwhelmed.

You: Thank you so much for being honest. I would love to talk about ways we could give you support to help with the workload. Do you have any ideas of what might help you the most?

You can then discuss ways to move forward and reinforce your expectations for them going forward. I also like to recommend that they come to you next time before the issues start. The key is to remain calm and kind.

On the other hand…

…if you’ve had ongoing issues with an employee and you’ve explored lots of different options with them, it might be time to evaluate if you feel that they are still invested in being there or if you see a path forward. This can be difficult, but again, an honest conversation is necessary:

You: Hi (name), I wanted to meet with you again because you are still consistently late and have not been finishing the client work on-time. We’ve met a few times and made a few changes to help support you, but we haven’t seen any improvement. If you’re still invested in being here, what changes are you going to make to ensure this doesn’t continue to happen?

You may have to make a difficult decision at this point based on their answer, but at the very least, you should feel that you’ve done what you can to help them succeed.

One final note…

The main responsibility as a business owner is to approach these situations honestly and openly and ensure that you are letting them know that they are not meeting your expectations. This gives them a safe and respectful space to be honest with you. By being honest with them, you are also giving them the opportunity to turn things around and form a stronger relationship with you and the business.

-Valerie

P.S. Do you have a business question? Email me!