It is indeed true that unproductive employees are usually lacking the required training, support, empowerment, necessary tools, or other such resources – to give their very best to the organisation. As a leader in the organisation, if you believe that this is not the case, you should then be questioning your own recruitment practices for recruiting an unproductive employee or even your organisational culture for failing to keep the employee motivated and inspired to continue giving their best.
What Employers Can Do to Influence Productivity
In my own experience as an entrepreneur employing over 50 employees as well as being a leadership coach, I can say with authority that there is a lot that the employer can do to deal with an employee’s productivity. Below, we will discuss all the possible measures that can be put in place.
Preventing Unproductivity Starts with Proactive Measures
There must be measures put in place to proactively counter the risk of having unproductive team members in the first place, rather than being reactive to such a concern. The employer should audit their own recruitment practices to ensure that the most talented individuals are recruited who are the best match for the job.
The Importance of a Strong Onboarding Process
The employee onboarding process must be reviewed as that’s a very weak area within the HR function of most organisations – essentially where employees are not supported appropriately to clearly convey their job responsibilities, provide appropriate training, be assigned a mentor, and ensure that their own understanding of the organisational culture aligns well with the corporate values and vision.
The Power of a Personalised Professional Development Plan (PDP)
Part of the onboarding should also be the development of a personalised Professional Development Plan (PDP), so that the employees are able to develop into their role, even exceeding the expectations set for them. The PDP will also ensure that employees are always upskilled to meet the changing needs of the market forces, including technological advancements and legislative changes. For example, imagine your employees are not appropriately trained to embed the use of AI tools in their operational practices and hence are unable to be as productive as some of their peers who took such an initiative at their own will without your support. The PDP will also keep the employees motivated, as they will feel that their own personal and professional development is being taken care of by the employer—resulting in increased loyalty, which will also lead to greater retention rates.
Responding to Existing Productivity Concerns
In a reactive situation where a concern has reached you, going through the above checklist will help you identify possible areas where you have erred. Again, if you believe that you have fulfilled your part of the obligation and there are no areas where you defaulted, you should still refrain from forming an adverse opinion about the employee in question. Instead, you must focus on identifying the root cause of the problem. Start off by having a 1-2-1 meeting with the employee discussing the areas of concern.
Agreeing on a Way Forward with SMART Objectives
Make sure to avoid adopting a negative tone or shifting blame, and be prepared to be a good empathetic listener. Clearly lay out the concerns in relation to the lack of productivity and provide an opportunity for the employee to explain their position. Do make sure that both parties are able to ask follow-up questions so that the discussion can lead to finding the root cause of the problem and possible remedial measures. Make sure that there is a specific action plan put in place in response to the meeting, with clear SMART objectives for both the employee and employer to action, including the provision of required training, tools, or any other resources. Set a timeline for a review of the Plan, and make sure that there are checkpoints to check progress of the employee against the SMART targets agreed mutually.
Recognising When It’s Time to Let Go
There is a probability that the above investigation might lead to the conclusion – possibly shared by both parties – that the employee is no longer a good fit for the role. If this is the case, it’s best to follow the organisational procedure to formally discharge the employee from their position.
Conclusion
Addressing employee unproductivity is a multifaceted process that requires both foresight and empathy. Employers must be proactive in their recruitment, onboarding, and development processes to reduce the likelihood of disengagement. When productivity concerns arise, a structured, non-judgmental approach focused on understanding and support can often lead to improvement. However, if all efforts are exhausted and the fit still isn’t right, parting ways respectfully is in the best interest of both parties. Ultimately, fostering productivity is a shared responsibility that begins with strong leadership and a people-first organisational culture.
