advise needed!

22 Comments

1. AnonymousNovember 9,2024 at 8:37PM UTC

   This sounds very demoralizing for the rest of the employees. I wouldn't even address the comments the employee added. You need to be extremely clear on the improvement you need to see and set goals that would be reachable by an average employee (e.g., you expect 4 weekly reports with an accuracy rate of at least 90% or whatever makes sense for the role). State clearly that this is a requirement for them to remain in the position. You can't keep a permanent low performer without driving off your best employees. They wonder why they're trying so hard when slackers are getting the same pay and opportunities - and they aren't wrong. This person needs to meet your needs (as long as they are reasonable) and be replaced if that's not going to happen. What you're describing is common, but it's also a sign of poor management. I know some workplaces make it hard to properly manage, but it's often not as hard as people think to get rid of useless staff members. Good luck.

2. AnonymousNovember 9,2024 at 10:33PM UTC

   Thank you. Unfortunately i am definitely in a situation where management/hr continues to allow this even as I have flagged and made my recommendation this is not a good fit. Hate to say it but I feel like I am being gaslit from both sides.

3. AnonymousNovember 9,2024 at 10:28PM UTC

   Much more leadership and 1:1 progress assessments on a weekly/monthly basis. This employee has been allowed to run their own show and therefore rates themselves very highly because they are meeting their own metrics and has been allowed to be a free agent. Of course they have met all their own goals. They have not been given concrete goals with metrics and timelines.

   I would suggest really managing this person before offering any assessment of their performance. This year has been on their terms so it's been a wash. With proper oversight and guidance on a weekly and monthly basis with clear goals and metrics, next year might meet your expectations.

   If you dont have the tools or authority to manage this person then I suggest not assessing them at all and leave this to your manager to set expectations.

   You can't set best practices in motion for this year. It must be part of a methodical plan of performance based on clear, measurable deliverables that encourage growth and strong performance with regular check ins, training and rewards and corrections.

4. AnonymousNovember 9,2024 at 10:35PM UTC

   They do have a timeline of requirements - it is process and procedural position, so the same items required have deadlines and metrics every 90 days.

5. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistNovember 10,2024 at 12:04AM UTC

   Bottom line is it sounds like this employee is not doing their job up to standards and have been getting away with it.

   Sooner or later this is going to start impacting your employees who actually do their job and you're risking loosing those higher performers.

   PIP this person, hold them accountable and if they are unable or unwilling to bring their work up to standards, transition them out.

6. JB09718November 10,2024 at 6:43AM UTC

   Depends on if you want to

   keep them or eventually let them go. You’ve already met with them to discuss underperformance and gave them guidance, they chose not to follow it. You can have a final meeting, PIP, and let them go if (more likely when) they don’t complete it. Or if you want to keep them, put in the extra effort to get them on the right track. (Regular one on one meetings,

   more oversight with their work, etc.) I would lightly touch on the “I wants” referenced in his review but would not deliver unless it’s something critical. Ive had team

   members request equipment or tech upgrades that would help them with their job. I would take the time to review any requests like that should they have merit.

   Additionally, the underperforming employee will eventually start to bring down the rest of the team if he hasn’t already. If you choose to keep him, make sure to keep tabs on team morale too.

7. Madam anon663November 10,2024 at 8:38AM UTC

   From my perspective coming from being an individual contributor, I would be pissed that a low performer is getting to stay, while I work at a high level. I have no interest in carrying anyone, and if this person can't come up to speed, and quickly, they will only hurt this team and foster discontent.

8. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 11:09AM UTC

   But up until now there has been zero management of this person so they are convinced they are delivering very high performance and therefore rate themselves extremely high. Management/leadership has never communicated displeasure or disappointment.

9. Ally MorganNovember 10,2024 at 2:17PM UTC

   The worst part about this employee, is the effect keeping him/her around likely has on the rest of the team. I can only imagine that they are often called on to unfairly pick up this person's slack. I have one of these people in my office and was actually put on a PIP for not helping the person more or doing their work with more joy after a full year of doing so without complaint. It's wild out there.

10. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 2:22PM UTC

    How did you acknowledge his inflated perception review of himself? If you didn't refute his claims, he probably believes you agree. Has he been put on a PIP with tangible goals to complete in a specific timeframe? Maybe that's what you need to do. You mentioned below that he has been "unmanaged" until now, so now is the time to start managing him. Give him the tasks and the processes, then write him up when he fails to perform. He will improve, or you will have cause for termination.

11. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 2:39PM UTC

    I don’t know what the provided training or tools entailed, but I’ll provide some considerations. I don’t think the employee thinking highly of themself is problematic. It’s important to make visible areas of strength and areas of improvement. This is important for keeping morale high and working towards success as a team. Since the intention to contribute productively seems to be there have those who has worked closely with this person made clear and concrete the gaps between intent and organizational/team goals, and methods of improving. Efficiency is important, but it’s something to work towards. Some may hit the target(s) right out the gate and some have to work towards it. Providing and working through specific examples, gives the employee a chance to identify and understand where they are coming up short and learn how they can succeed. These are important to consider if you want to give them a fair chance to improve.

12. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 4:34PM UTC

    Time for a PIP, customize it with specifics citing examples. For example EE must within 30 days drive X revenue to top 3 clients and make 3 new customer visits resulting in XYZ.

    Hold them to it and if they do not improve, begin termination process. Clearly they have not taken the feedback which was either originally too vague or not specific enough in what to improve.

13. AnonymousNovember 11,2024 at 1:47PM UTC

    This is the path forward.

14. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 4:35PM UTC

    You say "we" have done such and such. Do you have the responsibility of managing this person and improving their performance ? Because it doesn't sound like your leadership is backing you. If not I would not highlight this person's performance if you dont have the support of management. I have a feeling it will not go well for you.

15. AnonymousNovember 10,2024 at 5:48PM UTC

    I honed in on the statement “doing tasks their own way”. It’s really important to know what kind of learners your team is comprised. And how one works is not based on what or how you expect. Unless you work on an assembly line there are grey areas of how someone should work. At the end of the day if this person is under performing, that is you have metrics by which they are not meeting, a PIP is in order. The fact they think well of themselves is irrelevant. I think well of myself and we all should. If they gloat but under perform the non-performance of metrics should be your stance. Good luck and let us know how it works out!

16. AnonymousNovember 11,2024 at 9:27AM UTC

    As you've explained management and HR do not support your oversight of this person so I would suggest you avoid the gaslighting from your boss and HR you are experiencing and allow this employee to continue on their course. I would explain your hands off approach to your boss and leave it alone. It is not worth driving yourself mad about. You aren't really in charge.

17. maria roseNovember 13,2024 at 10:34PM UTC

    As a follow up to this comment, you still need to be backing in writing in this employee file all evidence that you have provided them with the adequate training and follow up review. That should be standard procedure for everyone, just verbal approval becomes a “they say, they said” situation . You, the OP, of this post feed, have been dealing with this employee for over a year, and only now want to document their performance, which should have been going on from day one.—especially if you have done all the show/, tell,/ explain,/watch performance, / review and do all over again if not to expected performance. Every one of those times would have been perfectly acceptable to put a notation in the employee file even if it was just a short checklist that both of you have initialed. That is if you, the OP are this person’s direct supervisor. Now if you are just their coworker and feel annoyed about having to fill in the gaps in performance by this underperforming coworker, that’s another discussion.

    But if you failed as their direct supervisor to keep notes on their performance for the past year, the only thing now is to start documenting now whenever this employee doesn’t show the required performance skill at the level needed. Especially if HR and the boss are asking you why the work isn’t getting done as expected and are holding you responsible. It is part of being a supervisor, you do need to document whenever you have reviewed your employees work

18. AnonymousNovember 11,2024 at 1:59PM UTC

    going forward, feedback should be given in a timely manner to this individual. No one should be waiting until a yearly review to hear they’ve been doing bad work or underperforming for the duration of the review period. If they have themselves a glowing review this likely hasn’t been happening and that is a problem. If someone isn’t made aware they aren’t meeting expectations and aren’t hearing anything about their performance how are they supposed to know? This on the manager to ensure feedback happens regularly and in a timely manner when things happen. They likely can’t read

    minds and have no clue as no one she said anything.

19. AnonymousNovember 11,2024 at 2:31PM UTC

    Before you jump to a PIP, please have your paperwork in order. Have you followed up with employee on the tools you provided last year to ensure they understood? If not, you are partially to blame. If no follow up or one on ones during the year have happened, it is no surprise they think highly of themselves. They honestly could have been thinking they are doing things correctly.

20. AnonymousNovember 11,2024 at 3:27PM UTC

    OP doesn't have the authority to offer a PIP. I think that's the problem.

21. Sandra SwearingenNovember 12,2024 at 2:16PM UTC

    Pull out the job description and set down with the employee. Have a heart to heart talk about why they are not meeting the requirements and offer to coach them. Document this and let them know you expect to see improvement in 90 days. Meet with them bi weekly to discuss their process on their goals. Document, document, document. They will eventually get the idea that they need to change or they won’t have a job. If you have to terminate them you will be covered legally. Or you may get lucky and get a fabulous employee out of the process. Good luck.

22. Liz MilneNovember 13,2024 at 8:33PM UTC

    be honest. It's hard, but either she's self-satisfied and needs to be told that she's not as good as she thinks she is, for her own sake; or she's on the autistic spectrum and takes people saying she's 'nice and helpful' to mean 'you're fantastic at your job'. You need to be a little bit blunt: 'Your ideas about your own skills are incorrect. Personally, you are nice (or whatever compliment you like) but professionally, you are still not working at a sufficiently high standard.' Keep your tone very neutral, and follow the previous up with no more than five things for them to work on (even if there's more things to be done, start with five or fewer or else she'll be overwhelmed - three items would be even better, but make it clear that these are only the first priorities and that there will be more once they master these, if that makes sense?)