4 Tips for Coaching Underperforming Employees

When there are serious performance issues, coaching is a good start towards remediation. It involves a time commitment on the part of managers, yet it will be effective in helping your underperforming employee move towards the right direction. 

1. Start by identifying and helping the employee improve on his areas of weaknesses. You will need to guide the employee through setting short-term goals, monitoring his progress closely and scrutinizing his work. 

2. Enlist the help of another employee to engage in peer coaching. This employee will take on the responsibility of coaching the underperformer and will be rewarded if there is an improvement from the underperformer. 

3. Check with the human resources department for suggestions on training programs that are suitable for the underperforming staff. This could work if the performance issues stemmed from lack of skills required for the job. 

4. Recognize positive efforts by the employee to encourage continued success towards the mutually-agreed end goal. Little things add up, so look for opportunities to reinforce positive performance progress.