How to Engage Inconsistent Employees

Inconsistent employees can be really frustrating! Sometimes you’re ready to pour down accolades and award bonuses for their outstanding achievements, while other times you’re pulling your hair out over their sloppiness and missed deadlines.

Not only do you have to charge your team with the task of picking up the slack for them, it’s hard to know how to develop them. Sometimes they seem ready for a promotion while other times you might consider punishing them. Here are some steps to engage an inconsistent worker.

Diagnose the Issue

You need to talk with your employee one-on-one and figure out what’s causing the inconsistency. Once you have a better sense of his issue, you’ll know how to proceed. There are three likely scenarios. They might be unaware of the issue and in denial. They could be aware of it, but they don’t think their ineffective work affects anyone other than themselves. Or they are aware of it and it upsets them, but they need your help to resolve the problem.

Identify the Mistakes

If the inconsistent employees are unaware of their failures and in denial about it, you need to be prepared to walk them through their work and point out their mistakes. Be very specific and precise. Instead of saying, “you measured wrong,” show them how their measurements were off the mark and what impact that had on the rest of the project. Instead of telling them their report was sloppy, show him what mistakes they made in their writing and then give him a sample of better writing, carefully showing him the distinctions between the two works.

Be sure to acknowledge their viewpoint and hear them out – even if they’re full of excuses – but hold firm about how detrimental those mistakes can be for the company.

Emphasize the Impact

If the employee doesn’t seem to understand how much their sloppiness bring down the rest of the team, show them! Show them how much time is wasted when someone has to fix their mistakes or show them that your company lost customers because of the poor quality of their products. If they’re still not grasping how crucial attention to detail is, turn the spotlight on their own career. Not only are they establishing a reputation as ineffective and unreliable, they are hurting their chances for promotions and bonuses!

Teach Them

If your employee is fully aware of the sloppy mistakes and upset about it, reassure them you’ll work with them to help improve their performance. The fact they’re upset tells you they’re probably committed to the company, so if you show you’re committed to their growth, you’ll both be invested in developing the employee’s skills and abilities.

Show specific examples of their mistakes but encourage them with examples of their exceptionally good work as well. Empower your inconsistent employees with information they can use to get better! If you are looking for assistance sourcing talent in the High Desert, contact the team at ICR Staffing Services today.