Slow and underperforming

[Ilikemywhiskysour]

I manage a team member who joined the company around 2.5 years ago. I came in about a year later to help turn the department around; the goal wasn’t to replace anyone but to rebuild a struggling team and improve performance.

This particular employee had been underperforming before I joined, but after some time working closely together, she agreed to go on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) and made real progress. Over the past six months, her performance had been improving.

However, there have been ongoing behavioural challenges; for example, inappropriate levels of socialising, excessive phone use (including watching Netflix during work hours), and conversations that are often quite morbid and disruptive. I’ve raised these issues multiple times and tried to reset expectations.

Unfortunately, over the past three months her performance has started to decline again. She has asked me to “micromanage” her and even to draft her reports for her, despite being in a senior role. I’ve explained that this isn’t appropriate for her level, and while I’ve offered the option of moving into a more junior role (which would come with a pay adjustment), she declined.

Last month she only met her targets because I personally coached her over the line which, while part of leadership, felt well beyond what’s reasonable for managing a senior employee.

I’ve considered putting her on another PIP, but given that the last one only produced short-term results, I’m unsure it would help. When I’ve asked her why she’s struggling to complete work, she’s said things like, “I don’t know … I get distracted.” I’ve suggested tools and strategies, and even arranged a course, but none of this seems to have made a lasting difference.

I really don’t like giving up on people, but I’m struggling to see a way forward. Has anyone navigated something similar where an experienced employee has the skills but consistently lacks focus, accountability, or self-management? I’d really appreciate any advice on how to approach this constructively but realistically.

Asking once or twice is ok but the fact she is still ignoring you shows that she doesn’t care. It must make you wonder what she does when she is working from home.

How easy is it to measure her performance and how has she been marked in previous performance reviews?

She has to want to do it. Ye need to figure out why she gives up and starts slacking again. Is it that something triggers it, like an increase in workload or being overwhelmed by someone. Is her working hours too long for her. Is there an area if her job she could have more control over maybe, if she could do things her own way in some area and see the results of that, it might motivate her

Not sure what has made you draw that conclusion. I'm not seeing it strongly myself in the OP.

It's really hard to guess what her issue could be.

The desire for micromanaging could be that she has totally lost all interest and motivation for the job or she wants to ensure she is not blamed for anything. Or, she doesn't understand what her boss wants, or she has lost confidence due to criticism, or might be exhausted and stressed with stuff that is going on in the rest of her life. So many possibilities! I'm sure there are many more.

The chatting - lost motivation, informal intelligence gathering, procrastination..... who knows?!

I think she’s just not interested in the job, she seems to lack motivation but she has always been this way - her own words.

what can I do to motivate her? I have asked her directly and she has suggested micromanaging and drafting her work for her to finish but that’s not appropriate for her level.

Micromanage her by banning personal phones from the office. Silent and out of sight during work hours except break times.

Micromanage by asking what are your priority tasks this morning/ hour/ before lunch and then setting short deadlines that you check up on. Or pairing her with someone, kind of an accountability buddy or an app like flowclub, focus mate etc?

I can also be easily distracted, waste time and fanny about, tell me I have weeks to do something and I'll take weeks... but give me a short deadline and I can really get shit done!

I too have 'always been like this' but it shows a lot more in my desk based/ wfh role than in my weekend faster paced, on my feet busy all day kind of job.

If you’ve asked her to stop watching Netflix
multiple times and she’s still doing it, isn’t that a serious disciplinary matter?

If you want to keep her then would she have an open conversation about what she does and doesn't like in the role and can the work be restructured or give her something new? I wonder is she bored silly. Some people enjoy doing something for a long time and getting mastery, others hit a point where they get bored and jaded. Could she move in the organisation, is there a better suited client, something new to learn? The Netflix might be what gives her enough interest to get through the work.

Honestly, I'd put on another PIP, this time with the aim of managing her out.

You have told her many times not to watch Netflix while she is working but she still does it. That is insubordination and shouldn't be tolerated.

If she is fairly senior with the salary to match, she's massively taking the piss sugggesting that you draft her work for her to finish. You seem pretty calm about it. I would be raging at her lazy attitude at her level.

Document everything and loop her in. ‘As per our meeting/discussion on xx/xx/xxxx…’ I had a manager try to put me on a pip because he didn’t like me but he was an utter idiot (I’m surprised he could dress himself without fucking it up). He didn’t document anything or give me any measurable objectives (basically as he had no grounds and made it up as he went along). I spoke to another manager who was a close friend and mentioned I had never had any written feedback or objectives and said I would need to ask for them. Her face lit up and she said ‘no this is how you bury him. He can’t say you agreed to anything, he can’t say how he is rating your performance, he can’t say how you are meeting objectives if they haven’t been set! Let him sleep walk into this!’ One of the things he wanted wanted me to do was turn up half an hour early each day when I sent a ‘just to clarify’ e-mail cc’ing HR and my director he nearly shit his pants.

Measurable objectives that are reviewed and rated and must be documented each and every time. Get a paper trail.

You say HR are external and only supply policies - great, get the policy on what to do if someone fails their PIP, and read it carefully.

You say you want to turn the situation around as you know she is capable - but actually she isn't. Just because she can produce good work from time to time does not mean she is capable of doing the job, i.e. consistently producing quality work independently.

You say you don't know how to discipline her - read the policies, and read some general management books or websites.

You ask what you can do to motivate her - you can't. Only she can motivate herself. She is not interested in the job. She wants you to write her reports for her. She cries if no-one talks to her (i.e. wastes time socialising with her).

Honestly - follow the policies to the letter to manage her out of the company.

If the policies are not clear and detailed enough, go ask your line manager for advice on what steps to take, or ask your manager if you can consult an employment lawyer (this might already be included in the HR contract).

I wonder could give her a choice of projects to do... Even if it's a choice between 2 things, it could make her feel like she has more control over things. Another possibility is that it's her ability and that shes more suited to another role. She could be finding it hard to accept that it's the case

The OP doesn’t need to figure it out. It’s up to the employee to do that and act on it.

Ya, that is true really. There's only so much work you can put in to them. At some point you have to accept that its their responsibility really. Ya

To be really honest you’re making a vital mistake by asking for advice on this forum about this. Speak to your manager. Do what your manager says.

Don't motivate her
Sack her
It's the only thing to do

Firstly stop putting in more effort than she does. All you need to do is set expectations, set measurable goals/targets, be clear about the outcomes/timescales and give appropriate support. “Micromanaging” someone and writing their reports for them is not appropriate support or a reasonable expectation.

put her back on a PIP and make it a long one that requires a sustained improvement after the initial improvement has been achieved - I’ve done that before with those on a PIP/off a PIP repeaters.

With a poor performer like that, once you take a firmer stance, that they sense the game is up and move themselves on.

She sounds undiagnosed neurodivergent. I think you need to look at ACAS for some guidance on managing poor performance. Undiagnosed ADHD isn't an excuse and it sounds like she is being allowed to get away.

I'm ND and I wear over ear headphones, listen to music, use body doubling website at work. So there's plenty of options that aren't Netflix.

She very well could be ND, she is the only one in the team without a diagnosis. I’m not a DR so cannot say, but I know she comments how we are all weird for the stuff we do to help us function in work.

I will have another look through ideas for reasonable adjustments, it’s hard as the only two she’s come up with really don’t seem reasonable to me.

Treat everyone as if they’re going to take you to an ET. Keeps the mind focussed and the consequences in sight.

Any argument about working while watching Netflix can be quickly dealt with, particularly as she has mentioned being easily distracted.

I am no expert, but if she hasn’t got a diagnosis for anything then I don’t believe you need to consider adjustments, particularly ones that aren’t acceptable.
Why are you pretzeling yourself to make this your problem? She doesn’t seem to care much if she keeps her job, so why do you ? I have seen instances where the line manager is spending hours carrying out meetings and documentation for a PIP and indeed seemed a lot more bothered about it than the actual underperforming employee.
If the issue is you can’t get clear guidance on next steps with HR, that’s a business issue you need to raise with your manager. Do that and follow the steps so you’re doing your job, rather than trying to figure out why employee isn’t doing theirs.

Watching Netflix should be dealt with using the disciplinary process not performance management. You have verbally asked her to stop, so the next step would be a written warning. Follow through with the process. Hopefully she will get the message that it’s not appropriate.

Can I offer a different opinion here.

I struggle with anxiety and ADHD, for me I find it really hard to concentrate without some background noise, I have often used Netflix as that and am much more productive.

No idea why, I don't actively watch it if that makes sense. For me it's just background noise...

Honestly are you doing anyone a favor in the longer term? You’re setting expectations for help that won’t help you or the wider team. You’re allowing this to continue-honestly if I was in your team I’d say this was poor leadership and poor people management.

You are the manager. It is not your job to come up with ideas of reasonable adjustments! She doesn’t even have a diagnosis. She has to come up with the ideas that are reasonable. No one would ever say “watching Netflix at work” is a reasonable adjustment. Why are you tying yourself in knots over this? At this rate, you yourself will be on a PIP for poor management.

But the employee here is considerably less productive- takes three times longer to do something than it should.