Unproductive Employee? Here’s How to Motivate Them

As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, Future Force knows there’s nothing more frustrating than having an employee who seems impossible to motivate. Should you bite the bullet and fire them? Or give them a second chance?

While the decision rests with you, here are a few tips to keep in mind that may help you get that unproductive employee back on track:

Start with a discussion.

Your employee might not be as productive as you like because they are unclear about goals or expectations. So your first step should be to have a conversation with them to ensure you’re both on the same page.

Outline clear goals.

Make sure your employee understands where they fit in within the company. That begins with outlining clear performance goals, as well as timelines for achieving those targets. This is also a good time to discuss the consequences of failing to meet expectations.

Don’t get too friendly.

Managers oftentimes want to be liked by their staff. But when you’re friends with one of your subordinates and that person is not performing, then it’s going to create all sorts of problems for you. When you do try to exert control, they won’t take you seriously. That’s not to say you should be hostile and negative towards them, but do have very clear boundaries in place.

Provide training.

Part of the reason your employee might not be succeeding on the job may be due to lack of training. Help them refine their skills and develop new ones through training opportunities.

Monitor progress.

Check in with your employee regularly and sometimes unexpectedly. You want to ensure they’re continuing to make progress and haven’t reverted back to their unproductive ways.

Offer rewards.

Before you offer rewards, make sure your employee has truly proven himself or herself to you. That means going beyond just showing up on time a few days in a row to really turning their performance around. If your employee is in fact getting back on track, keep them motivated through rewards. These could be financial perks, extra vacation days or the ability to telecommute one day a week.

Give them more responsibility.

It could be that your employee isn’t so much lazy as they are bored. So if it seems like they have untapped potential, give them more responsibility.

A final note: When it comes to dealing with unproductive employees, your best defense is a good offense. That means proactively striving to hire exceptional people from the start; those you know who are self-starters and ambitious.

If you need help finding hard-working and motivated people to add to your team, call Future Force. As one of Dade County’s top staffing agencies, we can help by providing you with fast access to the high-quality employees you need, whether on a full-time, temporary or contract basis.

Contact us today to learn more.