Incapacity: Poor Performance

Poor performance refers to an employee’s failure to fulfil the expectations or responsibilities outlined in their job description, i.e. not achieving their goals.

Common signs of a poor performer

• Unable to deliver results: Consistent failure to produce expected results.
• Repeated mistakes: Does not learn from previous errors.
• Consistent handholding: Requires a great deal of supervision.

The above are signs and not proof but they can help you assess if an individual is underperforming.

Effective management of a poor performer

Not effectively dealing with a poor performer may lead to a situation where said employee is unaware of his or her shortcomings and has no reason to improve. Other staff may also feel uncomfortable with this, as the poor performer’s input is not on par with the rest of the team. It is imperative that poor performance is addressed in a timely manner.

How a manager successfully deals with poor performance

It remains the manager’s responsibility to ascertain if the person does not know how to do the job or does not want to do the job. There are three critical Ts to keep in mind:

Train: If the employee does not know how to perform a task, then training will be an appropriate option.

Transfer or terminate: If the person does not want to do the job, then the manager will need to identify the source of the behavioural issue and either transfer or terminate.

9 key steps in managing a poor performer

1. Establish what the issue is.
2. Address the issue immediately.
3. Document the process.
4. Pose questions to relevant parties.
5. Encourage accountability.
6. Recognise the person’s strengths.
7. Provide honest feedback.
8. Form a performance improvement plan.
9. Follow up with the team member.

Guidelines in cases of dismissal for poor work performance

Any person determining whether a dismissal for poor work performance is unfair should consider:

1. Whether or not the employee failed to meet a performance standard.
2. If the employee did not meet a required performance standard, whether or not

   the employee was aware, or could reasonably be expected to have been aware, of the required performance standard.

3. Whether the employee was given a fair opportunity to meet the required performance standard.
4. Whether dismissal was an appropriate sanction for not meeting the required performance standard.

Anisha Naidoo

HR Manager

Reference

3 and 10 (2023) Poor performance, Labour Guide South Africa. Available at: https://labourguide.co.za/poor-performance/poor-performance (Accessed: 29 July 2024).