"What can I do about an employee who doesn’t get their work completed on time?"
The first step to almost any employee situation is: Have a discussion with the employee.
A discussion does not include belittling or embarrassment. It is fact-finding and enquiring aiming to find out if the employee understands that there have been missed deadlines. Communicate to them what the consequences to the business are because of incomplete work.
Tips for Managing Inefficient Employees
- Don’t assume that they know what the expectations are, even if it is felt that the expectations should be common-sense.
- Find out what issues are coming their way that create roadblocks to getting work accomplished on time. Provide solutions to these issues or account for them in the timelines.
- Together, set goals and deadlines concerning the pace at which the individual should be completing their work?
- Set “check-in” dates on a regular basis (daily, weekly, monthly, etc) to verify these goals and deadlines are on track?
It is the responsibility of the Manager to know the status of their employee’s work. The ability to properly follow up during the “check-ins” is where a Manager truly shows that they are interested in the individual’s success.
If employees are going for long periods of time without follow up on their work, there is likely also a management issue. That is not to say that pressure comes off of the employee to be efficient, but it gives greater focus to what the organization needs to do to get the best work from their employee.
If efficiency is an ongoing concern, documentation is key. Include the dates of follow up and the status of the work at each check-in.
If you have taken all these steps but still having on-going concerns? Contact us. Let’s build a plan together.
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