\n\tKeeping mediocre employees on your staff can be more costly than you might think. Not only do they divert management’s time with unsatisfactory performance (or unfavourable attitude), they can drag your top performers down with them.<\/p>\n
\n\tYour high achievers inevitably carry a heavier load, and over time can become disenchanted and contemplate leaving. Meanwhile, the unchallenged mediocre employee remains. Ultimately, mediocrity has won.<\/p>\n
\n\tYet, it’s common for managers to struggle to draw the line between acceptable and mediocre performance. It can be easier to decide what to do with a poor performer, but what do you do when someone’s work is fine but not great?<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tHow many employees do you have whose performance isn’t bad enough for termination, but you’d pass on if you could get a ‘do-over’ on hiring them?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tWill letting go of a mediocre employee cripple your company?<\/h2>\n
\n\tReplacing an employee is costly, but you need to consider whether it is more disadvantageous to maintain a ‘good enough’ employee at the expense of the entire team?<\/p>\n
\n\tHow will you feel if the employee concerned turned in their resignation today? Would it be better to let go of that person and look at other possibilities?<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tIt goes without saying that mediocre employees will produce less, innovate less and strive less.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tTaking action<\/h2>\n
\n\tIt’s often easier to dismiss someone if they aren’t even trying, but if an employee is genuinely trying his or her best to perform, it makes your heart ache a little to show them the door.<\/p>\n
\n\tBut consider<\/strong>: you will not only be helping your business by removing those who aren’t performing, you will be helping the employee in question. If their performance can’t be improved, wouldn’t they be better off in a job that is more suited to their particular set of skills. Far from being harsh, letting them go could do them a big favour.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tThe toughest test of a manager is not how they deal with poor performance — it’s how they address mediocrity.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tAvoid mediocrity: have clear measures<\/h2>\n
\n\tEmployees should know exactly what your expectations of them are and what they need to achieve. Are they meeting their KPIs or KRAs and duties? Do they need further training?<\/p>\n
\n\tMediocrity often hides behind fuzzy or inaccurate measures. In contrast, meaningful measures make poor performance painfully apparent.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tEveryone deserves proper and due process.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tTrain and develop<\/h2>\n
\n\tIt’s never too late – even for existing employees. Training and development should be ongoing to make sure your employees grow with your business. Let them spend some time shadowing one of your top performers so they pick up the right habits.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tMuch of the performance management process centers on coaching to help employees build their skills and confidence.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tEvaluate performance more often<\/h2>\n
\n\tEvaluate performance regularly so you spot trouble early on and reward good performance. It’s not enough to wait 6 months or a year for someone new. Spend time evaluating performance very week or two for the first month and then monthly after that until you reach 6 months.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tChange poor habits early and reward good performance.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tAddress performance issues head on<\/h2>\n
\n\tTake action when performance drops. If an employee is not meeting performance standards or not behaving in a way that supports your organisation, you need to decide whether or not they will rise to the level you expect or you need to cut ties quickly.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tCreate the best employee you can, or set up for the cleanest possible termination.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tEngage peer accountability<\/h2>\n
\n\tIt may sound counterintuitive, but on high performing teams peers often manage the vast majority of performance problems with one another. On the weakest teams there is often no accountability and on mediocre teams, the bosses are the source of accountability.<\/p>\n
\n\tEmployees should be taught to speak up and be willing to have an honest conversation with each other in a safe environment.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tMediocrity is often a sign of strong supervision.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tEliminate mediocrity in your workplace<\/h2>\n
\n\tWhy allow mediocrity and incompetence to continue in your workplace? If an employee doesn’t improve and is holding your business back, take action. You need to provide your employee with actionable, specific performance feedback and opportunities to learn and grow.<\/p>\n
\n\tBottom line is, you need top performers in your circle along with the ability to measure what they are doing and how their performance affects your bottom line.<\/p>\n
\n\n\t\tAre you sure you’re doing enough to push for high performance?<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\n\tClick here<\/a> to read other RecruitNews articles.<\/p>\n