Should they Stay or Should they Go? The Dilemma of Underperforming Employees
Steve Macri, the Operations Director of Electric Star Group, a London-based independent hospitality company explains, “We were having performance issues with two key members of staff and we were not dealing with it in the best way. Possibly we were frightened and uneasy about taking formal action in case we did it incorrectly.”
Up until this point Electric Star Group had been doing its own HR. But as the company was expanding and taking on more staff outsourcing HR became essential and so Gap HR was engaged. The first challenge Carolyne Wahlen and her colleagues handled was the two employees with performance issues.
“With the underperforming members of staff, Carolyne was able to create a map for us. She told us ‘you need to have this discussion with them and put this in writing and give them this deadline. And if this doesn’t happen then your rights are this’. She gave us the confidence to have tricky conversations with people as well as the roadmap for their improvement or their exit from the business.”
The outcome was that the two employees exited the company without any repercussions for Electric Star.
“In the past, we weren’t sure what their rights were or our rights, Carolyne gave us the confidence to make the decisions we needed to make. We made them and knew we were protected by the law.”
In addition to the issue with the two employees, Gap HR reviewed all the contracts of employment to make sure they were watertight.
“With Gap HR we can make decisions that are best for the business knowing we have professional support in the background, advising us and supporting us.”
Steve Macri
Operations Director, Electric Star Group
