How do you handle poor performance issues during probation without demotivating the employee?

To handle poor performance during probation without demotivating the employee, start by providing clear, constructive feedback and outlining specific areas for improvement. Offer support through additional training or resources and set achievable, short-term goals to help them succeed. Maintain open communication and express confidence in their ability to improve, focusing on positive reinforcement and development rather than solely on shortcomings. Regularly review progress and provide encouragement to build their confidence and engagement.

This feedback loop should be continuous. Goal posts change, issues crop up, and timescales get tighter. It's important that leadership openly communicates with their team so everyone knows what is expected. Get this wrong, and you've got no chance.

Approach poor performance issues constructively by giving clear, specific feedback on areas needing improvement while emphasizing the probation period as a growth opportunity. Set achievable short-term goals and offer guidance, resources, and support to help the employee meet expectations. Regularly check in to celebrate small wins and reinforce progress. Frame feedback as developmental rather than punitive, focusing on skills and behaviours they can improve, which maintains motivation and shows your commitment to their success.

If your employee doesn't understand their role, and what's expected of them, how can they be expected to perform? As you said Harry - goal posts change regularly, and objectives and tasks shift too - however if a company is neglecting to inform the employee of their responsibilities in their role, they are accountable for confusions and misunderstandings on the employees part.

In my experience, you must motivate the employee to overcome the performance issues. You need to support the employee to be better at their work. Your encouragement can work wonders for the employee, but before you do that, you need to check on the employee's expectations from the job and check if the employee is willing to improve because we can only send food to the table but cannot force someone to eat it. We can only help those who want to improve.

Ask the employee a direct and important question: "Why don't you think you're performing as high as you could be?" Before you jump into any assumptions or conclusions go straight to the source to try to understand what they think the disconnect might be. Is your onboarding process not as robust as you thought? Was there a miscommunication in the interview and onboarding process about expectations? Could a technical or training resource be helpful to get them over the hump? Getting curious about what is the root issue is the first step in identifying and resolving the problem.

Finding the root?cause is one of the important things that can help you overcome the performance issue. The root cause can be the environment, teammates, management, or their expectations multiple times. I've seen people have a mismatch in their expectations, which they knew once they joined, and then they feel helpless and end up performing poorly because they are unwilling to work. Its better to talk and find a solution

Often, clients raise concerns about the performance of new hires, expecting immediate results without allowing time for adaptation. However, integrating into a new organization and understanding its culture takes time. It's essential for the reporting manager to conduct regular review meetings, not only to assess the employee's progress but also to uncover any underlying issues. Implementing feedback sessions at 30, 60, and 90 days can provide valuable insights into potential problems.During feedback, identifying specific issues allows for targeted solutions. For instance, if poor performance stems from personal issues or training or mismatched expectations etc, exploring ways to address them may be beneficial.

It is important to stick to the facts and avoid emotions other than empathy when providing feedback. You might be frustrated with the employee as they may have caused you trouble due to their mistakes or lack of completing tasks, but you need to make sure that this does not impact how you communicate with the employee. Make sure they also have a say on how they can improve going forward, this would make them part of the solution and it will likely make it more successful.

Addressing performance issues requires constructive feedback. I do this by focusing on specific actions needing improvement, not generalities. It's also important to not just criticise; offer solutions like training or mentorship. Frame the conversation positively, highlighting their strengths and your belief in their ability to improve. This approach motivates them to address the issues and succeed in their role.

Early in my career, I learned that "To be clear is to be kind."Most workers genuinely want to do a good job. However, new team members often come with blind spots or encounter difficulties in performing certain tasks, while they are likely excelling in other areas. When we approach these situations with patience and respect, offering guidance to improve, something remarkable happens. We don't just help them grow—we inspire them. A team member who feels supported and appreciated becomes more confident in their role and more enthusiastic about contributing to the organization. Clarity isn’t just kindness—it’s the foundation for creating a team that thrives. We don’t just build better employees; we build a stronger, more united organization.

In our team, we involve our team members in crafting the action plan to foster a sense of ownership and commitment to improvement. During this collaborative process, we emphasise empathy, actively listening to the employee's perspective, and jointly identifying areas for growth and support. Together, we outline specific, achievable steps to address performance gaps, setting realistic goals and timelines. This approach encourages accountability, empowers the employee to take ownership of their development, and demonstrates our commitment to their success.

It’s rare for a new team member not to give their best during probation, but it happens. At one company, a new hire quit before 90 days, citing unfair expectations. She was tasked with duties she was never trained on. Her supervisor had only sent a brief email during the busy first week and never followed up, yet expected her to perform. This oversight cost us a potentially spectacular employee. To prevent this, I increased supervisor accountability during the first 90 days. It’s the supervisor’s role to ensure team members fully understand their responsibilities. We must over-communicate to ensure clarity and avoid assumptions.

Regular checking in is key. Once the expectations have been set, make it normal to have regular 1-1's checking in on their progress with their probation/first 3 months plan. Therefore, performance feedback (positive or otherwise) is built in as a normal, continuous process - reducing the likelihood of them being demotivated. It also means you aren't saving up all the things that aren't going right for a specific meeting. The 'end of probation review' should be a continuation of discussions already had. There should be no surprises at this stage.

This one is absolutely crucial. If a company has recognised a development opportunity with a staff member and won't commit some resources to regularly aiding that, then they're not only wasting the employee's time, but company time too. Staff are the most valuable asset and organisations should be trying their hardest to develop their people - not skipping meetings, development opportunities or learning scenarios.

A mi me dió resultado en el manejo de equipos y con las personas nuevas: 1. Escucha activa y compasiva para darme la oportunidad de conocer a los colaboradores desde el Ser y el Hacer 2. Plantear al colaborador Preguntas estratégicas asociadas a a la forma de sus objetivos 3. Auto liderarme desde la atención y cuidado para mantener la energía y poder inspirar desde el bienestar. Ahora es lo que comparto desde un nuevo propósito de vida. Gracias por leer

One of the things that adds value once a candidate is hired is also giving them feedback based on the selection process. Many times we have very valuable information as a result of the evaluation process, but we tend to limit ourselves to giving "the good news" that he or she was chosen. But in this previous process, there are also elements that we identify that can enhance candidate′s future performance, but also others, that can affect it. Let′s not keep to ourselves that comprehensive feedback that we already have from the beginning!

Many times performance issues are a result of burnout, lack of vision, or some external factor unrelated to the job (that has a negative bleed into the workplace). Take a step back and understand the "Why?" behind your employees dip in performance - then set a clear plan that will address two things. 1. What are the major KPIs the employee needs to hit 2. What is the root cause that's causing this employee to become apathetic towards their growth. Set a basic game-plan that addresses these two points above and focus on the "Why" over the raw numbers. Show your employee that the organization and management has their long term success in mind.

Communication is critical during probation. Make sure you have set clear goals and expectations and do not take things for granted, for example, you might think the employee should know how to complete a task by now but have you actually checked if they were trained on it and understood how to do it?