5 reasons for employee failure

Many business owners and human resources executives become disappointed because the people they hire fail to live up to the promises of their resume. Seldom is it because of the employee’s abilities if the candidate is properly vetted before being hired. Instead, it is typically because of internal issues. Most industry experts believe there are five prime reasons employees fail.

1. They don’t know what to do

Each of the five generations in today’s workforce has a very specific way they choose to receive directives and orders. It is imperative the supervisor understands the generational approach to managing a team. It is critical for employee have full understanding of the expectations their supervisor has for them if the employee is going to be truly satisfied with their position. The days of being able to take a single method of teaching job functions is long past. To be successful today training must take the generational approach.

The builders and traditionalists normally want to receive detailed step-by-step instructions. They have been influenced by the very detailed instructions typically given in the workplace during the traditional management period which lasted through the 1970s. It was not until the 1980s that employers started giving out more latitude in getting the job done and at that time the generation that fought World War II had become entrenched with detailed plans.

Baby boomers prefer to know the end result before stating on a project. The “how” is not as important as the “why” in what the final product will be. Consider the instructions for do-it-yourself furniture – something created by the boomer generation. The instructions always started with a picture of the final product. Boomers should be given the ultimate vision and then allowed to develop their own processes and procedures to get there.

Generation Y and Generation X want to know how the task fits into the big picture. These are team-oriented generations that want to know the connection to the organization’s mission and vision. Once they see the outcome, they will figure out how to get there. Individuality will feed into a team spirit as they develop a workable game plan to get the job done.

2. They don’t know how to do the job

Teaching someone how to do a job is important as one’s initial experience with a new job will have an impact on the employee’s engagement to the employer in the future. When teaching employees how to do their job it is important to remember that not everybody learns the same way. There are two cognitive learning styles that must be considered when developing employee training programs.

First, there are people that will want to know all the steps, rules, restrictions, and resources up front. Others want to learn one aspect, process that aspect, then they are ready to learn another.

At a third-tier automotive supplier just outside of Detroit an employee was labeled as not being a team player. Like all management members he would sit at the weekly status meeting and hear the owner give out a list of successes from the prior week and receive a long to-do list for the coming week.

He easily remembered the first items on his list and accomplished them well.

But as the week progressed, he would look at the task list and not remember what his hastily written notes meant. Too proud to go back to the owner, he would guess – often wrongly.

An employee assessment that measured 18 areas of his personality and his cognitive style revealed he was a strong team player. It also showed he had a cognitive style that preferred to receive new information followed by a brief period to process it.

Once the owner began providing instructions spread out across a greater time frame, the gentleman went from an individualist to one of the best team players in a short time period.

Often an employee is missing some of the skill sets or knowledge to complete a task. They may simply need additional training to learn how to do the job. However, it is possible they just need to be given the instructions on a more gradual timeline.

3. They don’t have the resources

Many employees are trying to do a great job, but they do not have the resources they need to reach this goal of success. There is a high cost of hiring new employees, often running as high as 150 to 200% of the annual pay for the position. Most existing employees want to do a good job, and many are trying to do a great job. Despite their talent and determination if they do not have the resources, they need to reach this goal of success they will become weary and disengaged.

A top responsibility of a supervisor is to ensure their employees have the resources they need to get the job done quickly, properly and thoroughly. Yet with the spending and headcount cutbacks the very idea of new resources can send those in charge of dollars into cardiac arrest.

The important thing to remember is that not all resources are costly.

Of course, computer equipment, office supplies, and additional people are very expensive. Yet sometimes they can actually reduce overall expenses. One Metro Detroit company purchased Microsoft Access to replace a rudimentary Excel spreadsheet system of keeping track of some departmental data. With Excel they needed someone to cut and paste data at the end of the day to get an overall report of the day’s transactions. By migrating to Microsoft Access they were able to have real-time reporting with everyone working on the same data at the same time. The resulting time savings enabled them to cut overtime, paying for the Access software and development in less than three months.

Creativity will reduce the expense of providing necessary resources – provided one has not had a sip from the “it costs too much to provide resources right now” Kool-Aid.

4. They don’t have the motivation

Call it motivation energy or motivational attachment. If your employees do not have it your productivity will suffer.

Call it motivation energy or call it motivational attachment. Regardless of the term used, a lack of motivation is one of the five primary reasons an employee fails.

Motivation can be lacking in several aspects. It could be the employee, or a group of employees are not engaged to the vision and mission of their department or company. Perhaps the lack of apparent motivation is because the employee is in the wrong job. Perhaps it is only because the supervisor has not found a way to tap into the individual’s motivational factors. Other times motivation lacks because of pay and benefits, the lack of connection to the supervisor, or disputes and issues with co-workers.

Every individual has different motivational factors. To some motivation comes from knowing their work is appreciated. Others are motivated by challenging goals. To many, it is being part of a successful team while some are motivated knowing their work is improving society or the environment. Still others find their motivation in their pay. This last group can be a problem given the tight budgets of Michigan employers during the current recession. However, the first two are easy – and low cost – to provide.

Appreciation is shown best verbally. Complimenting someone with specific details on a timely basis is the easiest way to let them know their efforts are valued. Mentioning them for a specific accomplishment at a staff meeting, on a poster on the bulletin board, or in the company newsletter gives a great boost to those motivated by appreciation.

Setting challenging, but attainable, goals is also low-cost. It is something every employer should do anyway. Let the employee be part of the goal setting process to get their buy-in. the only commitment here is time, but remember the old adage – you get what you measure.

5. They don’t fit the job

Job fit is a great concern of managers as payrolls have tightened and there is little relief expected in the future. With downsizing and rightsizing many employees have been shifted into a new role for which demand not been properly trained or have the interpersonal skills.

An unconventional survey by Taleo Research took an interesting perspective concerning job fit and satisfaction. Respondents were asked to consider their job was a human and then state their feelings toward their job. Given that scenario:

• 33% said they like their job seriously enough to date it.
• 9% percent felt so strongly about their job that they would propose marriage.
• 5% percent claim they would break up immediately.

These are strong indicators of one’s job fit. When an employee is in the right job for their personality, motivational stimulators, and personal interests they absolutely fall in love with the position and ultimately increase their personal productivity and the quality of their work.

About the author:

Rick Weaver has half a century’s experience in leadership development in retailing. He founded Max Impact Corporation, a leadership and business development consultancy company in 2002. His major accomplishments include working himself from stock clerk to director at a Fortune 50 retail chain and building a $40MM+ construction company in under 5 years. Today he works as an Executive Search Consultant matching management talent with the job culture for which they are uniquely wired.