It takes time to learn to perform a job at the highest level. And in the course of that journey, it should be expected that employees will make some mistakes. The onus is on employers and managers to bear patience and help workers to develop and improve their performance levels. Employees should not be dismissed because of one mistake or poor performance assessment- they should be given opportunities to learn and improve. Obviously the amount of opportunities would depend on the nature of the work. A pilot or heart surgeon may not be allowed to make even one mistake, but in most other jobs, employees should be given a fair chance to rise to the occasion.
Companies should exercise patience as employees learn (or re-learn) the requirements for performing their jobs. Here are six steps companies should take to improve employee performance before considering dismissal:
Conduct detailed orientations- both theory (classroom-based) and practical (hands-on). If employees are given a proper foundation when they join the company, their chances of success will be much greater;
Provide training and re-training;
Provide helpful supervision;
Organize teams at work so that senior employees can assist the more junior ones;
Set clear and realistic goals for workers and provide the necessary facilities so that the goals can be achieved; and
Routinely conduct proper performance appraisals.
Performance appraisals can be a useful tool in helping employees to improve. Appraisals should examine previously established targets, discuss reasons for missing targets, highlight workers’ strengths and weaknesses, develop a plan to achieve future goals (which includes identifying any additional assistance or facilities that can be provided to assist the worker), and agree on a future date for re-evaluation (which should give the worker a reasonable amount of time to improve). These appraisals should provide genuine feedback that helps workers rebuild their confidence and increases the likelihood of them meeting future targets. Companies should strive to create an environment that fosters growth and embraces learning, instead of one that can leave workers feeling demoralized and unmotivated.
Mistakes and poor performances should not be automatically fatal. There should be a committed and concerted effort between employers and employees to improve performance, before any punishment is considered.
When companies fail to provide an environment that supports workers and helps them to improve their performance, it may be unfair to penalize workers for performing below par. The law does not attempt to force companies to stick with workers who are incapable of performing the job. But companies are not allowed to rush to that judgment. There must be genuine efforts over a reasonable period of time to assist workers, before it can be established that the workers are not capable of performing at the required standard.
An employee who has been dismissed for making an error at work, failing to achieve a goal or getting a bad performance appraisal, should seek legal advice to determine if the dismissal may have been unfair. It is not that employers can never dismiss an employee for failing to meet the standard, but the proper process must be followed.