Underperforming employees are not necessarily “lost causes” – there are often mitigating circumstances that can be alleviated with some mutual effort. Making the decision to terminate an employee can have widespread ramifications, from lost productivity to a steep drop in morale for the remaining employees, so it should only be a last resort option. Before you terminate an underperformer, try out these tips to improve their performance: 

Talk to Them About Expectations 

Don’t assume that an employee is actively choosing not to fulfill your expectations – they may not even realize they are underperforming. Communicate openly and talk to them about your expectations. Include as much detail as possible, in terms of what results you want to see and in what timeframe. This leaves no room for misinterpretation and makes it clear to your employees that their job may be at risk if they don’t put in the effort to improve. 

Determine Any Contributing Factors 

If an employee’s performance has suddenly let started to decline, there may be a reason behind it that could be addressed and solved. Ask your underperforming employee if there are any factors contributing to the change. It could be a matter of an overly high workload or a personal situation temporarily affecting their concentration, for example, and getting you in the loop can help you work together to alleviate the issue. 

Provide Ongoing Feedback 

Motivating an underperforming employee to improve requires a balance of positive reinforcement, along with constructive criticism. If you focus too much on corrective feedback, it can be demoralizing for your employee. Provide ongoing feedback to your underperforming employee and acknowledge what they’re doing right so they feel motivated to continue to improve since it’s noticed. 

Establish a Performance Improvement Plan 

Once you’ve communicated the need to your employee to step up their performance and given them time to put your feedback into action, if they still don’t improve enough, it’s time to take the next step toward potential termination. Establish an official performance improvement plan – document the specific actions you need to see, how they’ll be measured, and the exact timeline. If the employee still doesn’t correct their performance issues, you’ll have the records you need for their dismissal.  

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