Poor performance or poor behaviour? What leaders need to know

Managing staff comes with its challenges. Managers need to recognise the common red flags of employee performance and behaviour and determine what they are dealing with before deciding how to respond.

An employee may be consistently late, missing deadlines, producing work below the required standard, behaving inappropriately towards colleagues or creating conflict within the team. But a red flag on its own rarely tells the whole story.

The same workplace issue can have different causes, and the appropriate management response may differ depending on the circumstances.

Poor performance or poor behaviour?

Poor performance generally relates to an employee not meeting the requirements or standards of their role. This might include failing to complete work to the required standard, consistently missing deadlines or not demonstrating the skills or knowledge needed to perform the role effectively.

Poor behaviour relates to how an employee conducts themselves and whether their conduct meets reasonable workplace expectations. This could include inappropriate or disrespectful conduct, failing to follow workplace policies or rules, or behaviour that negatively affects colleagues, clients or the workplace.

The distinction isn't always clear-cut. Fair Work guidance recognises that underperformance can include both work that is below the required standard and unacceptable or disruptive behaviour. Serious misconduct is different again and may involve conduct serious enough to justify termination in particular circumstances.

For employers, the important point is not simply to label an employee's conduct as “performance” or “behaviour”, but to understand what has happened and determine the appropriate response.

For more on managing performance concerns, read Managing Employee Performance Issues: 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid >

Look beyond the red flag

A visible workplace problem doesn't necessarily tell you what is causing it.

For example, repeated lateness could be a performance or conduct concern, but there may also be personal, health or workplace factors that need to be understood. Similarly, a sudden decline in work quality, increased conflict with colleagues or a noticeable change in behaviour may require more information before a manager decides what action is appropriate.

This doesn't mean managers need to diagnose an employee or make assumptions about their mental health.

It means taking the time to understand the situation before deciding what to do next.

A useful starting point is to consider:

• What has actually happened?

• What was the employee expected to do or how were they expected to behave?

• Were those expectations clear?

• Is the concern about performance, conduct, or potentially both?

• Is there other information or context that needs to be considered?

What should leaders do when concerns arise?

Start with the facts

Focus on what has actually happened rather than labels such as “bad attitude” or “difficult employee”.

Clear, objective information makes it easier to understand the issue and have a constructive conversation.

Check the expectations

Consider what the employee was expected to do and whether the relevant workplace standards, policies, employment contract, award or agreement were clear and applicable.

Employees need to understand what is expected of them before concerns can be managed fairly.

Have the conversation

Don't allow concerns to build without being addressed.

A calm and private conversation gives the employee an opportunity to respond and can provide important context that may not otherwise be apparent.

The Fair Work Ombudsman recommends that employers address underperformance appropriately, sensitively and promptly, including giving employees an opportunity to respond to concerns.

Respond appropriately

Once the circumstances are clearer, the appropriate response may involve performance management, managing conduct, providing support, further investigation or another course of action.

There may also be legal obligations to consider. For example, the [Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth)] protects employees from adverse action because they have, or exercise, a workplace right.

This is one reason employers should avoid making assumptions or taking disciplinary action without properly understanding the circumstances.

Poor behaviour can create wider workplace risks

Poor behaviour isn't always an isolated employee-management issue.

Harmful workplace behaviours, including bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, conflict and poor workplace relationships, are recognised psychosocial hazards under Australian work health and safety frameworks. Employers have duties to manage psychosocial risks so far as is reasonably practicable.

Workplace bullying, for example, involves repeated and unreasonable behaviour directed towards a worker or group of workers that creates a risk to health and safety. At the same time, reasonable management action carried out in a reasonable way is not workplace bullying.

This means employers need to take workplace behaviour concerns seriously while also ensuring that legitimate performance management is conducted fairly and appropriately.

Where concerns involve serious misconduct, bullying, harassment or other disputed allegations, a more formal process may be appropriate.

Good leadership starts with understanding the issue

Managing poor performance or behaviour isn't about immediately labelling a problem or reaching for a disciplinary process.

Good leadership means understanding the concern, being clear about expectations, giving the employee an opportunity to respond and taking a fair and appropriate approach.

Sometimes the right response is straightforward. Other situations are more complex and require experienced HR advice to determine the appropriate way forward.

Workplace Plus on ABC Radio National

Workplace Plus previously joined Richard Aedy on ABC Radio National's This Working Life program to discuss the distinction between poor performance and poor behaviour, including some of the everyday workplace issues managers can face.

The discussion explored why managers need to understand whether they are dealing with a performance issue or a behavioural issue, as each can involve different expectations, management processes and consequences.

Listen to “Poor performance or poor behaviour?” on ABC Radio National:

Workplace Plus can help

Workplace Plus provides practical HR advice and support to help employers manage performance, behaviour and workplace concerns.

If you're unsure how to approach a workplace issue, contact us today.