Four human resources executives who are part of the Forbes Human Resources Council recently offered some advice on how to work with problem employees without handing them the pink slip.
Be direct and clear, said Angela Nguyen, vice president of human capital management at Ad Exchange Group, a marketing and advertising firm. “Confrontation is only a dirty word when handled clumsily,” Nguyen said. “Delivering clear, consistent, and constructive feedback lets employees know where they stand and gives them a chance to ask questions and make an honest effort at improvement, whether through additional training, mentorship, or mind sharing.”
Sarah O’Neill, director of HR at Digital Trends, advises to always be honest. “By having open and honest conversations, being supportive rather than accusatory, and by providing tools to lead the employee in the right direction, reinforced discussions can go a long way,” she said.
Courtney Mudd, director of HR at Influence & Co., said to not allow problems to fester and wait until it is too late to take action.
Kristin Williams, vice president of enterprise services group at Ultra Mobile, also said HR needs to act on problems as they unfold. “The first time someone is late, address it,” Williams said. “On my team, we have set the expectation that if you are going to be more than 10 minutes late, [you’re] expected to text me.”