An employee is expected to be thorough, efficient, and productive. But you are less likely to get the best out of them if they do not feel appreciated and secure in their work.

That said, we have listed seven factors you should consider when your employees are performing poorly.

1. Appreciation

Everyone wants to feel appreciated. Otherwise, they will feel like there is no use in doing what they do.

Luckily, showing appreciation is pretty straightforward. Saying “thank you” and commending your employees for a job well done is one way to do that.

Another is implementing any brilliant ideas you get from them. And you can reward them by letting them oversee the project and giving proper compensation. What happens is that it will encourage other employees to think out of the box and develop solutions that can help improve the company

2. Workload

While giving your employees significant responsibilities can make them feel like you trust them, it can also backfire.

For one, it can overwhelm them. This can lead to distraction, which hinders them from being productive. It can also cause stress, as prioritizing tasks and timekeeping can be mentally challenging.

What you can do is check in how your employees are doing and ask whether they are struggling. That way, you can talk about and figure out solutions.

3. Burnout

Burnout is a combination of physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion due to prolonged stress.

Your employees may look bored on the outside, but there can be more to that. Perhaps, they cannot perform well because they have issues at home that they cannot stop thinking about. Another reason might be because there is office politics that you are unaware of.

Mind you, burnout can be a sign that an employee might be harboring resentment to someone or something. That said, address the issue and ask if you can do anything to make the situation better.

4. Communication

Lack of communication can breed distrust and uncertainty among employees and their superiors. And as mentioned earlier, no one would want to feel unappreciated.

Often, your employees feel that way because they deem that their voices are not heard. This is where communication plays an integral role.

You can start by allowing your employees to send you a message via instant messengers. Other options are to have an anonymous tip line and conduct regular one-on-one sessions with your employees.

If you do not address this issue head-on, this can lead to a low employee retention rate. And while it seems easy to replace an employee, it can be costly for your company.

5. Unrealistic Expectations

Unrealistic expectations are often the result of poor management. It can be due to unreasonable supervisors or the company’s outdated system.

It is like asking your employee to provide you the files you need immediately when you do not have a digital database and your printer is wonky.

That said, it would be best to set a company-wide meeting that will enable you to achieve the following:

• Identifying redundant processes
• Figuring out the best way to streamline your operation
• Everyone’s roles and responsibilities

Doing so also ensures that everyone in the company is on the same page. As such, all employees are in harmony, and expectation management can occur naturally.

6. Work Environment

In case you do not know, the office environment can also impact your employees’ performance. As such, you should ensure your workplace’s cleanliness.

At Maid Sailors Office Hoboken Cleaning Service, we recommend hiring a professional cleaner. Doing so ensures that your office is cleaned regularly without making a massive dent in your finances.

Another way to maintain workplace cleanliness is to develop and implement an Office Hygiene Policy. Here, you can include health and safety protocols, regulations that everyone must follow, and workplace dress code.

7. Company Culture

Your company culture can make or break your business. That’s because it can affect whether you can retain your employees or not.

Mind you, a low employee retention rate can hurt your company’s productivity.

Whenever you have to let go of an employee, someone has to carry their workload. And as we have mentioned earlier, heavy workload and unrealistic expectations can lead to overwhelm. This is what hinders your remaining employees from staying productive.

In addition, a low employee retention rate is expensive. For one, you need to pay your former employee what he’s due. Second, hiring a new one is also costly.

The good thing is that you can improve company culture by having open communication, being transparent, and having a listening ear.

Final Thoughts

Richard Branson once said, “Healthy, engaged employees are your top competitive advantage.”

As an employer, your job is to take care of and monitor how your employees are performing. When you treat them right and provide for their needs, it will be easy for them to get things done.

As a result, you will have a healthy and productive company.