1. Inadequate job descriptions
Job descriptions should be treated as an employment contract, creating a tool to measure job performance. It is a documented record of what an employee should accomplish in their position and what activities they must perform well to meet those objectives. It is important that job description documents are provided to all employees and that they are utilized regularly.
2. Lack of training
Formal training is a must. Most companies send their employees to the front line, forcing them to learn on their own. Others provide formal training but in the wrong way. Both are equally bad.
Effective should address how an employee can best accomplish position objectives and complete supporting activities. Training must include accountability. Every skill taught must be paired with performance accountability, which requires management to measure each employee’s progress. Usually, training classes never receive another mention from management after they’re completed, and because of this, nothing ever changes. Another important aspect of effective training is using the right trainer Often, human resource people just teach as though employees are school children. These are individuals who have read the books but don’t have practical experience in the subject they are to teach.
3. Ineffective job performance reviews
An ineffective performance review is where the boss often does all the talking, doesn’t know what he is talking about, or doesn’t have all the information. He is often only completing the review because they have to.
Management must first recognize the stakes. The few hours spent discussing an employee’s performance will affect what the employee thinks and does for the next full six months to a year. A lot of background and thought needs to be put into reviews. Managers must use the employee’s job description and review their performance in the context of a discussion. The manager should ask the employee to share their perspectives on each subject first. Managers should first focus on performance strengths before addressing areas that need improvement.
A successful performance review ends with an agreement between the employee and manager, and with a jointly designed set of performance objectives going forward. This leaves the employee with a sincere vote of confidence.
4. Lack of two-way communication
Regular two-way communication is important. Every leader knows this. When employees know what a manager knows, it creates an attitude and behavior of company ownership that leads to excellent performance.
5. Lack of employee recognition.
Daily thank you and a good word every so often is a must. This takes a concerted effort by management and an understanding that there is always something positive that can be said to each employee frequently.
6. Lack of job-related accountability
What great employees hate more than anything is witnessing poor performing employees being allowed to continue being so. This can lead to corporate financial failure, as good employees either leave or shrink down to being equally as poor as the rest. Recognising great employee performances is important and equally important is that the job performance review process provides the means to enforce accountabilities. Those not performing to the desired standard must be held accountable.
7. Red-Tape Galore
One of the most recent discoveries is that a business environment that provides freedom and the invitation to be creative always leads to the highest performing employees. Too many policies stifle employee performance.
