“I have an employee who just can’t keep up with his workload. We have 3 other employees doing the same work and they manage it. Sam is a great guy, has a lot of skills for only being 31, and he’s been with me for about 5 years so it’s been hard to decide what to do but I can’t keep him if he can’t keep up.”
Your HR Survival Tip
It can be a difficult scenario when you have an employee who is great but slow. Contrary to popular opinion, being slow isn’t an age issue, as you’ve discovered.
There are steps you can take to make this as painless as possible for both of you. The very first thing is to have frequent conversations with Sam to talk about why he isn’t keeping up with your standards. This feedback can help him try harder or let you know what’s slowing him down. Don’t make these talks just you talking; ask him for feedback, too.
If you’ve been having a lot of conversations and still haven’t seen sufficient improvement, it may be time to look at terminating him. Given that Sam’s a good guy and gets along well with everyone, you want to handle this well so you don’t end up the bad guy.
If you can afford it, providing outplacement services can be a great way to soften his return to the job-hunting scene. Outplacement helps him develop a strong resume and better interviewing and job-hunting skills. (Let me know if you need an outplacement resource!) Another option is a small severance package (2-4 weeks of pay) to help soften the lost income. If money is an issue, then just make the termination process as kind as you can and let Sam see how badly you feel that it’s come to this. Remind Sam of his strengths and what type of work he does really well.
Another thing to keep in mind is the remaining employees. Sam’s been there for 5 years and everyone likes him. They will still talk with him after he’s gone and how he’s treated during the termination process will either worry them or make you look good. You really want to be seen as the person who gave Sam every chance to improve and then reluctantly had to let him go.
Employees want to work for people they believe will treat them fairly so see this as an opportunity to show you’re fair. Also, make sure the other employees are very clear about your expectations so they don’t have to guess whether or not they are doing well.
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