Encouraging Engagement – 5 Tips for Helping an Employee Who’s Struggling at Work
From time to time, you may come across someone in your business who is actively struggling to do their job. It might be evident in their performance, in comments from others, or simply in the way they present themselves.
It doesn’t matter how you’ve noticed they’re struggling. What matters is what you do next. Here are some valuable tips for how you can help them become the best version of themselves:
Provide Them with Resources
As a business owner, over the years, you’ve probably taken advantage of asset finance solutions or other business finance options to have the resources needed to grow. The story is similar for your employees. Sometimes, people struggle with their daily tasks because they don’t have adequate resources to do their job properly.
E-learning, workforce management software, and dedicated training sessions can improve an employee’s confidence and productivity. To determine which resources you’ll need to arm them with, it’s important to get to the bottom of why they are struggling in the first place.
Open the Lines of Communication
Studies show that out of everything employees want their managers to improve on, communication is always at the top. This is why it’s so important to talk to any employee who is struggling with their job in an open and non-confrontational way.
Find out what they are struggling with and what they believe is affecting their ability to work. Refrain from communicating in an accusatory tone. Instead, focus on being empathetic while getting to the root of the problem.
Give Plenty of Training
As time-consuming as it can be to train recruits, it’s essential for avoiding problems down the line – such as poor performance. The more training you offer, and the more thorough the training, the more they can rely on themselves and supply resources to handle any problems that come their way.
This is more of a preventative step. However, it can also serve as a reminder to them to refer to their training materials when they find themselves stuck on procedures and general workplace requirements.
Reduce Their Workload
Depending on what’s causing the employee’s poor performance, you may see fit to reduce their workload until they can get back on track. This is an especially important tip for business owners who have staff members trying to manage problems in their personal lives.
As much as we may push the point home that our personal lives should be left at the door, it can be easier said than done. By showing compassion and providing support, you may end up with a high-performing and valued staff member when they come out the other end.
A reduction in workload may also be an ideal option for staff members who need to get back to basics to improve their technique on a particular task. Once they have worked on the foundations underlying their problem, you can ease them back into a full workload.
Work on Performance Goals
Sit down with your employees and create performance goals together. Ask them how they would like to improve, what new skills they would like to learn, and what their goals are with your business.
SMART goals, which are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-framed, may provide the boost your employee needs. You can then schedule regular check-ins to ensure they are still on track.
As frustrating as it might be to have an underperforming or struggling employee, compassion, empathy, and support will take you a long way. Get to the source of the problem, offer the resources they need, and gently guide them back on track to becoming the valuable employee you know they are capable of being.
