Managing Non-Performers

By: Maj. Gen. B.K. Bhatia
Date: June 7th, 2010
Posted in: HR Best Practices, Performance Management | 30 Comments »

Introduction

Organizations focus mostly on managing high performers, probably as a risk mitigation measure.

After all the high-performers are considered as the drivers of business and their retention is a high priority for the organization.

This article, however, examines how to manage non-performers which may sometimes be 10-20% of your employee strength.

Who are non-performers ?

Are non-performers those who

• Do not meet their targets?
• Do not contribute to the team effort?
• Do not have the required skills & competencies?
• Do not get along well their supervisors?
• Take no action on the tasks assigned to them?
• Spend no time on self development?
• Take no interest in the organizational activities?
• Have a poor attendance record?
• Are involved in disciplinary cases?
• Are not interested in training and mentoring others?
• Lodge maximum number of complaints and grievances?
• Have never received any rewards or recognitions?
• Have below average performance rating over the years?
• Have been repeatedly counseled to improve performance?
• Are trouble creators in the organization?
• Are generally disliked by peers & seniors?
• Avail of all types of leave & full slag times (lunch/ coffee breaks).

Perhaps most of the above aspects need to be examined before labeling an employee as ‘non performer’. This is possible only if you have composite on-line HR systems.

A few thoughts!

• You have always picked the right person for the right job.
• Your recruitment process was fair and you always searched for the best available talent.
• From your recruitment records you can verify the ratings of non-performers in the psychometric tests & their evaluation by interviewers & professionals.
• You kept the new entrants on probation for a sufficient time.
• You had a proper system for induction & on-boarding.
• You screened the probationers well before their confirmation.
• Your process speaks of no scope of the entry of low profile people in your organization.

Correct?

Then who created non-performers?

If everything was right in our selection process and people in general want to do well in their place of work, the question that begs an answer is ‘Who created non-performers?’

My interactions of over 40 years with many organizations identify the following as some areas of responsibility:

• Supervisors (i.e. Reporting Manager of the employee)
• Lack of transparent and employee friendly HR policies
• Absence of processes to implement and audit these policies
• Absence of an holistic approach to label employees as ‘non-performers’.
• Focus on recognition & development of high potential employees only.

On managing non-performers

With a major employee population being branded in the non-performer category, it is very important not only to identify why were they branded so (refer to the above section), but also to be aware how to manage them such that they perform better. Some ideas on this are:

1. Treat them as spoiled children: Parents seldom discard their non-performing children. They identify their strengths & provide the desired environment to nurture the same.
2. Screen them through Assessment Centers: Behavioral experts should be engaged to identify the attitudinal attributes which made them as non-performers. After all we don’t want encourage the reasons for this.
3. Collect 360 degree feed back: Have a formal survey and gather impressions about the acceptability in the environment of those labeled as non-performers. Inputs from peers and subordinates will provide a valuable picture. Design the feed back instruments carefully.
4. Train your managers: To develop subordinates is an important role of all managers. May be your managers are not equipped adequately to perform this role. Train them continuously and frequently!
5. Assign alternative roles: Transfer the non-performer to a new role, preferably in consultation with the employee. Let the new manager take him out of the dirty pool.
6. Consider them as company assets:
   1. They provide a real challenge both to HR & the respective line/ functional managers, keep them on their toes and make them search for creative solutions.
   2. They provide continuity in their jobs.
   3. They are not over ambitious & thus do not compete with others.
   4. They provide stability to the organization & can be well utilized for routine jobs.
   5. Their experience & knowledge of the organization is valuable even if their performance ranks lowest.
   6. During phases of recession & consequent downsizing of the organization, they are readily available as a solution.
7. Part ways “if you have to” but Very Gracefully: If you have tried everything else, don’t hesitate in parting ways. All employees may not be right for your organization and hiring mistakes are made often. Make sure that the benefit of doubt no longer remains and before you take this step, discuss this well and explore all options. You don’t want a costly lawsuit?

EmpXtrack Professional Edition offers a solution to ‘Managing Non-Performers?’ as discussed in the article above.

EmpXtrack is an integrated web-based solution that meets all requirements connected with Employee Performance Management, Web-based Recruitment & on-boarding, a comprehensive Employee Database, Self Services and a variety of analytics and dashboards for effective decision making.