August IR Insights: The rise of employees that ‘just give enough’.

This is a tale as old as time – you have a great team, the high performers are proactively taking care of their responsibilities plus adding in something a little extra, and you have your reliable majority – who come to work, do their job well, and go home. Then you have that one person, taking up 10% of your headspace, not quite doing it wrong enough to be counselled or performance managed, but also hovering at that 90-95% mark of ‘giving enough’. You know the ones, those that put in just enough effort to get by without fully engaging in their roles. Chances are they say things like “that isn’t in my job description”.

Is it frustrating? Yes.

Is it detrimental to team morale and productivity? Also, Yes.

So, where is the line on what you can say or do, and how much you should tolerate before

acting. Here are some effective approaches to manage employees who are giving "just enough".

1. You will need to do something

This scenario will never change or improve unless you act. The employee is coasting along believing (right or wrongly) their mediocre performance is acceptable, or worse still, has gone unnoticed.

So, before you check in on them, also have a good look in the mirror. Remember that your attitude and work ethic set the tone for your team. Research shows that if you are demonstrating a positive work ethic, and commitment and enthusiasm to your role - employees are likely to do the same.

2. Consider why this may be happening

Before speaking to the employee, consider why they might be performing at this level. Could this be due to:

• Lack of motivation: does the employee really see or understand how their role or performance in that role adds value to the business?

• Burnout: Is there the potential that the employee is fatigued? This can be a risk for anyone, but particularly those juggling work and family responsibilities or working rotational shifts.

• Poor fit: Is this position still aligned to the employee’s skills or interests?

• Growth opportunities: Does the employee want a long-term future with the business, or is this a job that is holding space for their next big adventure?

• External Factors: Or, maybe, this lack of engagement doesn’t have anything to do with work at all!

Consider the motivators of this employee – money, family, travel, buying a new car – then adapt your approach and communication style to get to the bottom of what is really going on.

3. Meet with the Employee

If you are not already meeting regularly with your employees, you should be. These check-ins do not need to be lengthy or follow a strict structure – but they do let you know where someone’s mindset is at, and if anything has shifted for them.

So, yes, meet with the employee and be curious. There is nothing wrong with bringing your observations to the attention of the employee. “Hey Mary, I notice that you have not been your usual self lately. I didn’t say anything initially, but this has been going on for a while and I am concerned – is everything ok?”

You will either get a “yes” or a “no”.

“No, it’s not ok” – thank the employee for their honesty and look for ways to discuss what is happening and how you may be able to support in the short term. Ensure to keep close contact with the employee, and over time you should expect to see a shift in performance as everything comes back into balance for them.

“Yes, all is fine” – let the employee know what you have observed and how this is impacting the quality of work or impacting others in the team. Then let them know they can come to you if they do need any extra support and that you have every confidence they will be back to their best soon.

“That’s not in my job description” or “that’s not my job”

This objection from an employee can be difficult to address. However, the employee doesn’t get to cherry pick the duties they perform or select the tasks they want to do. Providing the role responsibilities are reasonable and fit the skill set of the employee – an employee must follow an employer’s reasonable direction to work.

4. Provide Feedback/Set Clear Expectations

As time passes, if there is no sustained improvement, or other poor behaviour starts to creep in – start to add structure to your regular meetings and have more regular catch ups.

Frequent feedback, especially feedback that is factual and can be quantified, helps employees understand where performance needs to lift. If the employee knows the areas where they are doing 'just enough,' it can be an opportunity to encourage them to strive for more and reconfirm the expected standard. Your feedback should also include positive feedback of where they are doing a great job. Make sure that feedback is a two-way street, allowing an employee to share their ideas and concerns also.

If there is no improvement, you may need to let the employee know that a more formal process could be required.

5. Performance Improvement Plans

If your informal efforts are not yielding any results, especially if there is an ‘attitude’ element, a move to a performance improvement plan may be necessary. When these plans are set, they are for a limited time, with a very clear outcome of what is likely to happen if there are no sustained changes. Typically, at this stage an employee will opt in, and everything will start to turn around.

Please contact Streamline HR if you would like any support in managing a ‘just giving enough’ employee.