Managing Performance
We are frequently asked to assist employers with performance-related concerns and often it is easier for an outside party to become involved & speak to both sides independently in a mediation related situation
Very frequently, internal process change is involved to address issues for both sides and – also very frequently, a positive resolution is achieved.
If you are experiencing performance-related employment issues, please let us know. We can help.
90 Day Trial
90 Day Trial Period is available for NZ Employers with fewer than 20 employees. It is an opportunity for the employer and the employee to both enter the employment agreement under a trial arrangement. Importantly, all terms relating to the 90 Day Trial must be agreed to in the employee’s Employment Agreement.
Having a 90-day trial in place does not excuse the employer from their requirement to act in good faith and to manage clear and appropriate HR processes from induction & training forward.
Employers may also not employ people for a short-term contract under the guise of a 90 Day trial.
Employers wishing to terminate an employee on a 90 Day trial do not realize it is not as straightforward as you would hope. The HR team runs through a 90 trial termination checklist with all clients before we begin any processes to ensure we understand the full history, there are no hidden surprises and we are able to successfully terminate the employee without any repercussions.
If you have a situation where your new employee is not meeting your expectations and you are not sure how to manage either the process forward or the termination process, please contact us to ensure you have guidance on correct & compliant processes for management of the situation.
Disciplinary Process
Where an employee is failing to follow instructions, or not complying with your processes, you may need to introduce a disciplinary process. It is important to note that the ConsultingHQ team works exclusively with New Zealand Businesses and as such, follows the requirements for NZ Employment Law.
A disciplinary process for New Zealand is a standard series of meetings with your employee, following a structured process – each stage and meeting with specific communications before, during, and after the meeting, to ensure all parties are working together with a view to supporting the employee in introducing changes to their behavior or performance.
Often these meetings result in a positive change in the employee and a path forward.
Sometimes, however, an employee will be required to leave your business and will need your support through that process, which is understandably difficult for all parties involved.
In the rare situation where immediate dismissal or suspension is warranted, a different series of meetings and communications are followed. It’s never a one size fits all approach.
Our team of HR Consultants have excellent experience in this area – often the first point of contact for new clients is about Disciplinary processes – please contact us to discuss your situation more fully.
Annual Performance Reviews
Every employee in your business is required to have an annual performance review.
This is a formal structured performance appraisal meeting, where you meet with employees one at a time and review the progress they have made against their goals & KPIs, discuss any roadblocks, assess their overall growth and development during the year that has passed since the prior review.
Annual Performance Reviews are made much less intense by having regular informal catchups with each employee on their progress during the year, along with informal KPI reviews – enabling the Annual Review meeting to focus as much on the future, setting new goals and directions – as reviewing the past.
Our HR Consultants conduct on-site performance reviews for many of our clients as part of our HR Partner Programme. Clients often report that this is of immense value for them, as employees can often be much more forthcoming when speaking to an outside party.
If you need help with establishing the process for productive annual performance reviews, please let us know!
Training & Development
Every employee should have an Individual Training & Development Plan in place.
While this may feel like a lot of work, it is a natural progression from annual performance reviews, where you are monitoring progress against goals and establishing new goals.
As your business grows, so usually also will the skill base and experience of your team – the Training & development Plan is simply structuring this so that the core direction for the employee is clear and their growth is managed in accordance with your business.
This is an area that is key to employee retention and to business continuance & growth.
Our HR Consultants structure Training & Development Plans for many of our clients as part of our HR Partner Programme. We would discuss this with you – the business owner and, as part of the HR Partner Programme, we would be partnering with you toward business growth through Gold Standards in HR processes. If this is of interest to you, please contact us to discuss.
Reward and Recognition
Rewarding and acknowledging employees for satisfactory performance against expectation is essential – on both a monetary and an emotional level.
Employees who feel appreciated contribute more to the organization – and this does not always mean paying them more.
Understanding the fundamental drivers for each employee is critical to handling the reward and recognition correctly for each person. While some people are motivated by a bonus for performance and love to stand on the stage in the spotlight, others would find it enormously stressful to be singled out.
Your process for acknowledging employee reward must be consistent, fair, and transparent, but should also be adaptable for everyone in the team.
The ConsultingHQ team can assist you with this process and we include it in our HR Partner Programme. Reward & Recognition – when done correctly, is one of the most significant contributors to employee retention & future performance improvement. Please contact us to discuss your requirements
Future Leadership
Identifying who the future leaders are is an over-overlooked process, yet a vital part of your future growth planning.
Identifying the people with the right aptitudes, coachability, and a positive, progressive attitude will be critical to creating a growth path for people – who may be at any level of your organization and remain unnoticed if you do not seek them out and shine a light on their future role.
This exciting process results in a higher level of commitment and engagement from within the team – a profound enabling of the people who will be the most likely to take you forward, and a clarification of the training plan required for the future leaders now and in the future.
It’s a stage of HR Planning we really enjoy – and does bring forward some enlightenment on where to place your immediate focus.
