Addressing poor performance

Highlighting poor performance may cause resistance at both the informal and the formal performance and development review meetings. If the staff member accepts constructive criticism and resolves to improve, all is well. However, if the result is an angry or hurt staff member, then the process has failed. The performance of a staff member in such cases is unlikely to improve and may deteriorate even further.

Rather than ignore or directly confront under-performance, open-ended questioning techniques can encourage the staff member to identify their own performance problems and develop strategies for improvement. Staff should be encouraged to talk freely about their own impressions of their performance. With opportunity for guided reflection a staff member with problems will often identify and acknowledge shortfalls in meeting the agreed performance criteria.

Where performance issues are identified that indicate poor, or below standard, performance, an assessment of the cause/s, the preparation of a Personal Development Plan and frequent informal feedback sessions must follow. Two main causes of poor performance are:

• internal - the individual staff member does not have the ability, skill and/or motivation;
• external - situational or environmental factors such as lack of support, inadequate resources, overload.

Confusing performance and development with disciplinary issues

It is important that staff are managed in a fair and consistent manner and that concerns over the performance of a staff member are dealt with promptly by the line manager as and when they arise. A line manager should not wait until the next regular informal or formal performance and development review meeting to raise matters of serious concern. Similarly, staff members should not hesitate to raise with their line managers matters regarding performance or development at the earliest appropriate opportunity.

Where performance falls below an acceptable standard and efforts to improve the performance of the staff member using this review process have been unsuccessful, the matter should be addressed using the formal stages of the appropriate University Procedures. Matters which properly fall to be considered under the University's Discipline or Grievance Procedures should not be raised at regular or formal review meetings. Guidance on the application of University procedures is available from the Human Resources Department.