Common Reasons Why Employees Underperforming
Your business is only as good as the people you employ because if they aren’t on point and working productively, then work won’t get done and profits won’t be made.
Of course, we all have off days. If your employees underperform one day but are firing on all cylinders the next, then you probably have little to worry about.
However, if underperformance becomes a common factor in one or more of your employees, then you have to ask yourself why.
Why are employees underperforming?
Let’s look at some of the possible reasons why.
Low moods
Employees might experience low morale for all kinds of reasons.
It might be because they are mentally and physically exhausted because you have pushed them too hard.
It could be that they feel undervalued because you do little to encourage them.
Or there could be issues within the workplace that affect how they feel, such as a messy office space or a breakroom that doesn’t allow for fun or exercise.
When your employees experience low moods, their motivation to work productively might be at a minimum, so you should do what you can to boost their wellbeing.
Follow the tips in the linked article and talk to your employees more, because as soon as you find out the root cause of their low moods, the sooner you will be able to support their needs.
Substance abuse
Unfortunately, substance abuse in the workplace is a very common problem, as you can see within the study presented by the Addiction Center.
According to research, drug abuse and addiction cost companies $81 billion every year, through healthcare costs, absenteeism, and, lost productivity.
It might be that you already know of employees with drug problems within your workplace, and there could be those who have issues with alcohol too.
If you do, you need to consider their position, especially if they are endangering your business and themselves when they are in your workplace.
If you are unaware of any drug problems within your workplace, but if you suspect there might be an issue with one or more of your employees, you might want to consider drug testing.
Tests can be conducted randomly at various drug testing locations around your workplace, so check out the linked article for more information on the tests involved.
Employees Underperforming: Workplace distractions
According to a workplace distraction report, it isn’t only employers who get annoyed at lost productivity.
Employees are also stressed and frustrated by the distractions that get in the way of productivity.
Distractions can come from anywhere.
It could be the phone in the employee’s pocket. It could be the unwanted interruption of a work colleague.
And the meetings you hold could also be considered a distraction, especially if they hinder the performance levels of your employees.
Here are some other workplace distractions that are common today,
You can take action, of course. When you have figured out what these distractions are, you can put processes in place to deal with them.
So, monitor your employees, listen to their frustrations, and consider your own role, and make the necessary changes at your end if you’re guilty of distracting your employees away from their workloads.
These are just a few of the reasons why your employees might underperform.
For the sake of your business, consider each of them, and then commit to further research to learn more about these and any other issues that could be affecting the people in your employ.
