Many companies have a “one and done” policy when an employee makes a mistake. The company terminates the employee and can start anew with another candidate.
This “one strike and you’re out” attitude can be more harmful than helpful to you and your company in the long-run.
Why Give Employees a Second Chance?
Beyond the moral reasons of giving an employee a second chance, there are many practical reasons you should offer employees more than one strike. Some of the downsides to a one-strike practice include:
· Lower employee retention
· Low employee morale
· High turnover expenses
· Excessive legal fees
When employees turn over at a rapid rate, employee morale drops. You will inevitably spend more money onboarding employees than necessary. There’s also a higher likelihood terminated employees will take legal action as you haven’t created a paper trail to prove the reason for the termination, in some states.
Acknowledge the Problem
The first step to resolving a problem with a poor-performing employee is to acknowledge the problem. You must state the issue to the employee in a clear and objective manner. This information should be delivered to the employee verbally and in writing.
The employee also needs to acknowledge the problem. If the employee doesn’t believe there is a problem, he or she cannot take the correct steps to fix it. Feel free to ask the employee what went wrong and what he or she feels could have been done differently to prevent the issue.
It’s okay for you to take partial responsibility for the problem as well (even if you don’t feel that you deserve any of the blame).
Create a Concise and Actionable Plan
The second step is to create an action plan. Write down the exact steps the employee needs to take to fix the problem. Create milestones to help the employee improve incrementally.
Maintain a Clear Line of Communication
Check in every day, week and month during the performance plan. Try to give as much feedback as possible to help the employee understand where he or she stands performance wise.
The key to helping a poor-performing employee better his or her standing is clear communication. Keep checking in as often as possible to see the best possible results.