For any company with a large emphasis on front operation departments, an underperforming employee or team can be the downfall. A serious issue with underperformance is how it can sometimes only be identified when the damage has already been made in terms of sales, finances or workplace culture. This is why it is essential to act in the moment underperformance is identified. However, gaining an understanding of the origins of employee inaction is equally essential before tackling a burden on your operations.
What is important to understand from the below factors is that it is not simply the employee that is at fault for underperformance, but a range of people in roles from top to bottom.
The wrong person was hired
This cause of underperformance traces back to the very origin of bringing the employee into the workplace and warrants a look back at your recruitment strategies. It can be easy to be swept away by a great CV and brilliant interview whilst being blind to how the candidate may not be the right fit for the role. Mistakes in hiring can cause serious problems for organisations and the inability for the employee to do their job effectively can quickly have a knock-on effect on staff morale.
Two sub-factors highlighting the symptoms of this element are that of overconfidence and cultural fit. Overconfident employees – often first seen as ‘smart employees’, tend to believe they know it all and do not need further input or education, thus decline seeking others’ opinions or disregard instructions given by managers. This challenges the very power structure within a company and can be toxic. It must be ensured that recruiters have a clear understanding of the characters of potential employees and that managers help smart people understand that everyone has value to bring to the table.
When it comes to cultural fit, research has consistently shown that high-fit employees will perform better and be more committed to organisations. The quality of being a cultural fit trumps that of the impressive CV and interview. A performing employee is often one that matches the cultural fit, thus it is an early preventative measure against underperformance.
In-effective on-boarding systems
The next step after recruitment is that of on-boarding – another key element that can make or break an employee’s performance. Think about your first days in the workplace, receiving a lack-lustre educational cycle or introduction to the culture would have inevitably left you lost and demotivated. It is easy for companies to shortcut on-boarding processes due to time restraints and high costs of implementing an effective system for this process, yet in the long-run, investing in quality induction and pre-training will ensure employees coming in have the ability in skills, knowledge and motivation towards the company goals – thus reducing underperformance and employee turnover, saving more money for the company than what they’d lose from investing into on-boarding process.
Expectation setting is also a key moment in the on-boarding process. If unclear or misunderstood expectations or parameters have been set – not only for the job but also for projects throughout their career – poor performance can be inevitable. Expectation settings not only cover the project goals and deliverables, but also are around rules and values within the workplace that must be kept to ensure cohesive performance.
Lack of ability
The environment needs to be created for an employee to thrive and fulfil their potential. It can be easy to point the finger towards an employee for failing at a task without factoring in that perhaps the right resources were not provided. No matter how much an employee may want to complete a task, lacking the time, money, personnel or supplies to fulfil the mission will hold them back.
Obstacles from a human point of view can also deter performance when it comes to the bureaucracy of others. Waiting to get a decision from clients or higher-ups, being matched with the wrong department or colleague or a conflict within the team can pose significant obstacles for one to honor their job description. This warrants initiative from HR and managerial positions to look through team structures and dynamics in order to ensure a smoother co-operation towards performance. This also highlights how the fault of underperformance may not always be inherently on behalf of the employee in question.
Lack of motivation
An employee can have all the skills and cultural fit needed, yet a work environment without the appreciation or challenges they desire for stimulation will lead towards underperformance. Employees may begin to slack off if they perceive that their hard work goes unrecognised. For many, having the reassurance that their good work is being recognised is vitally important to their sense of purpose in the job, and a redemption for the personal and professional sacrifice they may have put into a task. According to Rich Franklin, founder and CEO of KBC Staffing, “from my 20+ years of experience in the world of staffing and recruiting, the primary reason that I have seen for someone leaving a company is not being appreciated”. Appreciation in the workplace not only covers rewards and recognition schemes, but also positive feedback, avoiding broken promises – especially around end-of-year bonuses, and preventing valid complaints or suggestions being shrugged off.
A lack of motivation also can stem from boredom when no adventure or challenge is being provided. Solving problems is something that gives employees a sense of a bigger purpose and helps create innovative solutions, leading to even greater performance. When suitable opportunities for problem-solving or challenges are provided, a boost will be seen in the performance of employees.
Join us shortly for further reasons why your employees may be underperforming. In the meantime, check out our partners opportunity portal to see how you can hire motivated, high-performing interns for your company.
