What to do if you have a dud

What’s the cause?

The first step to understanding how to fix a problem is to know how it happened in the first place. In my experience there are a number of reasons that people become duds, including:

• you made a hiring mistake

• you inherited someone else’s hiring mistake

• they were moved or promoted to the wrong role

• they have been treated badly in the past

• they have personal problems.

Some of these issues can be fixed; others can’t. Some are your fault and others aren’t. Regardless of the situation, it is up to you to do something.

Why you need to take action

If you need some incentive to take action here are five factors to keep in mind.

• There can be legal implications if you let it go on too long. In effect the individual’s behaviour becomes normal and you need to prove their performance has significantly changed to win an unfair-dismissal case.

• They will start to infect other employees, cause them to leave, disrespect you or start acting like the dud. Think of the dud as being the bad strawberry in the punnet with the potential to infect others.

• Making up for their lack of productivity is costly. Research by the Gallup organisation shows that it takes four fully engaged people to counteract the effect of one disengaged person. Do you have four over-performers for every underperformer on your team?

• Lack of action will increase your stress levels (through complaints from others, having to redo poor work etc)

• Employee engagement impacts the bottom line of your organisation.

Excuses leaders use for not taking action

• It’s hard work to fix! The problem here is that the manager is focusing on the effort involved in fixing the problem rather than the benefits of having the problem fixed. The attitude of ‘when I get time’ is a smokescreen because we all know that things will never get quiet enough for there to be time for this difficult issue.

• We really need their skills. I learnt very early on in my career that no-one is indispensible: that was when I watched a senior manager marched out of his office after being instantly dismissed. Yes, we needed his skills but we survived without him.

• But what about the legal implications? Absolutely consider the legal implications but don’t forget that not terminating the dud might also create legal implications.

What if another staff member puts in a stress claim as a result of the actions of this person? This is where you need the advice of experienced HR professionals. If you don’t have them internally, find someone externally to help you work through the steps necessary to terminate someone so you don’t end up in court.

A four-step action plan

• Don’t wait until it’s too late. Take action quickly before it becomes more difficult to fix and more people are affected. Every now and then a dud can be saved but only if you act immediately.

• Get help. Enlist the help of your other employees, fellow managers, senior management and HR. What you need is a united front. Know what you can and can’t do to manage the situation from a policy and procedure perspective as well as legally.

• Get to the point. When you have a conversation with that person, don’t dodge the issue, no matter how uncomfortable it makes you feel.

• Have a plan. Don’t just go in ready to fire them. Remember the reasons that caused this and have plans A and B.

Prevention is better than cure

To avoid creating a dud (or another dud, depending on your situation) there are four simple steps to follow.

First, only hire people who have the right attitude.

Second, involve multiple people in hiring and promotion decisions – not to spread the blame, but to ensure you get the right people.

Third, communicate your expectations clearly and regularly. Don’t assume people will interpret things the same way you do.

Finally, fix problems and issues quickly. Get it wrong once … that’s human. Allow people to make the same mistakes again and again … that’s bad management.