Has Your Company Given Its Employees A Performance Review Lately?
In defending against wrongful termination lawsuits based on poor employee performance, employers need to have the employee’s performance well documented. Joe Jotkowitz at the Executive Advisory provides some great advice for employers on how to manage employees’ performance through performance reviews. Joe recently developed great materials (found here) that will help managers give employees useful feedback on their performance. He notes the following about performance reviews:
Are these conversations easy? Absolutely not. However, the risk we run by not having them is even more critical. When we avoid difficult conversations, we risk three possible employee reactions:
So, minimize your risk and talk to your directs today... and more regularly. These types of conversations are great to have within 24 hours of specific events where feedback is necessitated or on a frequent basis (e.g., monthly, quarterly, or bi-yearly). As a matter of fact, right now is the perfect time for a mid-year check-up.
- Fight: Employees are more likely to become defensive and argue with us.
- Flight: Employees are more likely to become upset and leave the organization.
- Fright: Employees are more likely to be stunned and paralyzed and not know what to do.
Joe’s advice is excellent for employers, and the tools he provides helps managers have these tough, but necessary conversations with employees. While increasing employee performance and morale through good management principles by providing clear feedback with concrete examples about what an employee needs to improve will also help a company avoid litigation or to defend itself if litigation ensues. The performance reviews also need to be well documented and maintained in the employee's personnel file.