Despite what you might think, a poor performer isn’t just your problem. It’s your whole staff’s problem. And as they have to pick up the slack for a poor performer, resentment will rise and morale will decrease.

As a result, although it can be an uncomfortable situation, dealing with a slow-moving, low-achieving worker immediately is critical to getting that individual – and your entire team – back on track.

So if you have a poor performer at work, stop putting your head in the sand. The problem won’t go away; it will simply get worse.

Here are 6 ideas to help you deal with it:

1. Tailor your approach.

As one of the leading staffing agencies in Sacramento, California, one of the things we’ve learned over the years is that not everyone takes constructive criticism in the same way. Some people have thick skins and respond well to complete honesty; other people require a softer approach. So when you’re dealing with an employee who has performance problems, keep their personality in mind and tailor an approach you think will work best for them.

2. Get specific.

When confronting your employee, you have to get as specific as possible with the problem behavior. Don’t speak in generalities, such as “You’re late all the time.” Instead, provide specific evidence of their bad behavior, such as “You’ve been late three times already this week.”

To be effective, though, you need to take your feedback one step further.

So in addition to offering your employee specifics of their behavior, also explain the consequences of it. For instance, “You were late three times already, so your co-workers had to answer the phones until you came in and weren’t able to get any work done. Now they’re all behind.”

3. Brainstorm solutions.

Problems such as tardiness are generally easier to solve than other, bigger picture performance problems, such as bad sales numbers. When there are more serious performance problems occurring, talk with your employee to understand the root of the problem. Maybe they feel like they aren’t getting enough support or training; or possibly they feel a co-worker or situation at work is hindering their performance. Whatever the case may be, work with them to brainstorm solutions to improve future performance.

4. Make sure you’re both on the same page.

To ensure your employee understands the problem and you’re both on the same page in terms of a solution, ask the employee to summarize their understanding of the situation, including details of the steps they will take moving forward.

5. Be timely.

Don’t wait until the annual performance review to discuss an entire list of performance issues with an employee. If you do, you’ll not only overwhelm your employee, but they likely won’t remember the performance problems in question.

Instead, inform the individual of any issues immediately; also provide feedback to your employee on a regular basis to keep them on track.

6. Document your discussions.

When meeting with a poor performer, always keep a paper trail of what you discussed. So be sure to take notes during the meeting, including the date, a summary of the problem, the employee’s reaction, and solutions agreed upon. Keeping notes will help you recall important details for your annual performance reviews.

Sometimes, though, no matter what you do, you can’t turn around a poor performer. Perhaps they just aren’t a good match for your company.

If that’s the case, and you’re ready to trade in a poor performer for a superstar, Pacific Staffing can help. As one of the leading staffing agencies in Sacramento, California, we will partner with you to get to know your culture, understand the job opening’s requirements, create an accurate job description, and source, screen, interview, and test candidates – all so you can hire someone who will deliver exceptional results.

Contact us when you’re ready to find the right-fit employee!