Identifying Employee Performance Problems

Jean Hanson

There's no way around it. Throughout your life as a business owner, you'll have "problem children" as I like to call them. I'm actually talking about employees with performance problems.

In order to improve the situation, you need to figure out why there is a problem in the first place. There are several reasons you may have employee performance problems. Here are four of the most common:

1.  Capacity problem. This means the employee does not have the physical or mental capacity to do the job. If this is the case, you should take a look at your hiring procedures to find out why the employee was hired in the first place.

2.  Environmental problem. This could mean that the employee doesn't have the right tools to do the job, or the system doesn't allow them to do the job correctly. For example, if it's taking the employee twice as long to vacuum as it should, find out the reason. It could be that she's using a client vacuum that has worn brushes that don't pick up, or doesn't have enough suction. This could be causing the employee to work twice as hard to do a good job vacuuming.

3.  Training problems. This is a very common problem, especially if you've placed the responsibility for training in the wrong person's hands. Be sure you have an effective training program and that your trainers follow your systems consistently. Don't let employees get away with, "but no one told me I had to do that." Make sure they sign off on all training received, so you have documentation that they did indeed receive instructions on what to do.

4.  Motivational problem. The employee may know how to do the job,she just chooses not to do it because she's no longer motivated. Or, she may have the feeling that if "they" don't care, neither do I. "They" refers to supervisors or management. Motivation stems from management and trickles down to supervisors and cleaners. If your cleaners aren't motivated, find out why and take steps to correct the situation.

In order to fix the problem, you must get to the root of the problem. Discuss what is going on with the employee and be empathetic so she opens up to you. Once you know the cause, take immediate steps to correct the problem. Letting things continue on without taking action will never solve the problem. But if you proactively strive to deal with problems as soon as you identify them, the happier you and your employees will be.

Copyright MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. All Rights Reserved

Would you like to reprint this article in your newsletter, on your web site, or on your blog? You sure can! As long as the article is complete and unaltered (including the author information below). Send a copy of the reprint to us by filling out the contact form, including the URL of the published article. (Make sure all links are live if placed in an e-zine, on a web site or blog.)

You must include the following information at the end of each article you reprint:

Copyright MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. All Rights Reserved. Jean Hanson helps owners of residential cleaning companies build a more profitable and successful cleaning business through her online community at MyHouseCleaningBiz.com. Jean is also the host of the popular Web TV show CleaningBiz.tv and author of the popular newsletter House Cleaning Profit Tips - sign up today!