You must take action and keep it Going.

As we see the recent trends in HR, one needs to manage and understand why an employee behaves in a negative fashion and ends up performing low at work. As an HR Manager, one has to come out with effective ways to curb such employees in the organization

When employees face stress, deadlines, appraisals pressure and demands of personal life, some of them emerge tougher and winners while there are some who succumb to such pressures and are worn out soon. They exhibit lethargy, lack of interest in work and resentment against the employer.

By medium performers I do not mean that these are those kinds of employees who are neither rewarded by the employer nor can they be laid off from the organization. They have lost the vigor and excitement to perform their duties well hence this results in delayed career growth and new developments.

Low performance

A low performing employee in an organization definitely affects the motivation of other people around him. It is the responsibility of the employer to deal with such kind of problems and make such employees realize how their negative behavior is disturbing the environment of the organization.

Check out the list of things that a low performer does:

Passes improper comments about the organization and its culture. Talks about the work negatively with co-workers during breaks and lunch time. Criticizes company policies and spreads dissatisfaction in the workplace. Most employers are unsure of how to deal with such employees, who spell trouble for workplace positivism and morale.

How can we understand and manage our employees well?

Organizations need to figure out why there is such kind of behavioral change amongst employees. People tend to get disappointed when they find that things are not turning well for them and that there is nothing great happening for them anywhere.

As an HR Manager you will face difficulty in handling and understanding what has gone wrong with your people. The only reason for this is that people will not openly share with you or take ownership for any shortfalls in their work.

Employers are criticized because of:

They fail to recognize a troublesome employee. The employee spreads his discontentment to others. Dealing with such an employee requires time, tact and effort.

How to effectively deal with such situations?

Give opportunity to employees so that they can share their thoughts:

Have an open, serious discussion with the employee. A straight no-nonsense talk can alert the employee in a great deal. Once the employee knows that, as an employer, you are serious about the issue, he/she will share his concerns and speak out. Once, the employee realizes that the manager will help him overcome indolence, it is important to brief him about the expectations regarding his progress at work.

Recognizing and keeping clear communication to the employee that the negative behavior will not be tolerated in the organization will result in improvements in his job.

Make Goals:

Set goals for employees which are achievable and acceptable and the ways in which they can be conquered. Help the employee to align and change his behavior according to the organization’s mission and appreciate any positive behavior shown by him at workplace. Such small gestures will definitely help in improving employee’s attitude and open a world of opportunities for him.

Check out the basic information:

Putting the employee through the grind of training will help him overcome his limitations and learn the ropes of the business. Most employees argue that they are good enough for the job and there is no need to re-train. But, a firm management must communicate to the employee that it is important to go through the training to help him perform better and retain the job.

Review and feedback is essential:

Evaluation and reviewing the employee’s performance after any training will result in judging the effectiveness of the development program for him. In case he still showcases negative behavior, he should be properly informed that this could possibly result in strict action from the company.

Time for him to leave:

Despite of all efforts and help, the employee is reluctant to change his attitude, calls for a serious action from the management which can also lead to a final termination from services. Share your concerns and his drawbacks politely in order to avoid any arguments. Further it is seen that such employees are already prepared for such a decision and they seldom go against it.

What Have You Learnt?

Once the employer is done with dealing with such employees, it conveys a very important lesson to the organization-it pays to be extra cautious in recruiting employees, screening for negative attitudes and building a positive work culture!!!

Want to find out more about recent trends in human resource management, then visit Amit Kumar’s site on Human Resource Development