Is your team performing? Employee Incident Reports vs. Feedback Notes.
There are multiple ways to track an employee’s performance in the workplace. If issues arise, it’s important for human resources to address them in a timely and efficient manner.
It’s critical for managers to document issues about performance because it keeps a written record of an employee’s tenure with the company, their relationship with their manager and their colleagues, and their track record of compliance with policy noted in the employee handbook.
— But what about “excellence”? When should we document that and provide feedback?
While it’s true that new leaders are focusing on highlighting and documenting instances when employees haven’t met expectations or complied with company policies, new leadership trends are also letting leaders document instances where employees exceed expectations and lead new initiatives proactively. In this blog post, we will share two methods: the traditional approach of documenting employee performance issues or incidents, and the newer method of feedback employee sessions, where managers document both positive and negative aspects to evaluate employees holistically.
In general, it’s important that you follow the following steps when documenting employee performance:
- Stick to the facts and underline expectations.
- Emphasize the behavior.
- Align records of past performance.
- Describe proof of misconduct.
- Identify and present consequences.
- Track if you have provided feedback or communicated this to the employee.
The last step is that you or the HR team communicate this to the employee. Discuss the issue with the employee as soon as possible.
1. Employee performance issues or incident notes.
This is, in a way, the more traditional form for this.
It’s more like an “incident report”. If you are looking for a way to do this, you can find the template at Nova.
Template Name:
Performance or Incident Note
The good thing is that you can automatically share it with the HR team, so it’s an easy way to collaborate with the human resources team and keep them informed about some of the issues you are encountering with your team.
* Why it’s important for you to document employee performance issues?
The significance of documenting employee performance issues lies in its ability to maintain a written record of an employee’s tenure with the company, their rapport with their manager and colleagues, and their history of policy compliance as outlined in the employee handbook.
By documenting employee performance, you establish fairness in the investigative process and present an unbiased perspective when evaluating employee behavior in the workplace.
Additionally, managers should maintain a file for each employee to monitor their job performance regularly, whether on a weekly, monthly, or annual basis.
However this traditional method sometimes doesn’t adapt to the new management styles.
If you are looking for an alternative, you have this other method that focuses on the good and the bad.
**What types of issues warrant documentation?
These can range from employees violating company policies or team norms to displaying an unhelpful attitude. Here are some examples:
1. Laziness: Characterized by a lack of motivation, unwillingness to go beyond the bare minimum, and a general apathetic demeanor. Laziness often results in shortcuts or cutting corners, leading to decreased productivity over time.
2. Dishonesty: A serious problem that can damage trust and lead to theft, fraud, or legal issues. Dishonest employees may cover up mistakes, hide information, or make false claims about their qualifications.
3. Arrogance and Resistance to Change: Employees displaying arrogance refuse to admit mistakes or accept feedback, often behaving as if they are superior to others.
4. Failure to Take Assigned Duties Seriously: When employees treat their responsibilities as jokes, it not only disrespects management but also fosters a culture of laxity that can harm productivity.
5. Discrimination: Any form of discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, or sexual orientation must be addressed promptly.
6. Bullying: Managers need to recognize and address signs of bullying to maintain a healthy work environment.
7. Spreading Rumors: Address rumors directly, clarify any truths, and explain why false rumors are harmful.
8. Taking Credit for Others’ Work: This behavior erodes trust and can lead to resentment among team members.
9. Unreliable Punctuality: Consistent tardiness reflects a lack of respect for company policies and can disrupt workflow.
Documenting these or other issues is crucial for maintaining a productive, fair and respectful workplace environment for everyone.
2. New Methods: Employee Feedback Notes.
The employee feedback notes is a space the manager and the human resources team use to document activities in which the employee has shown great results or has exceeded everyone’s expectations, and when there are issues that need to be reported or brought to their attention.
In a way, this method focuses on supporting managers not only to take immediate action when things are not going well, but also to take the same approach when things are going well, and communicate the good and the bad to the employee while also keeping track of it so a department like the HR team is aware of.
Advantages:
- Improve transparency between managers and the HR department.
- Helps leaders to provide positive and negative feedback.
- Creates a mindset where “excellent and poor” are treated with the same urgency, making those who are excellent at their work get the attention and feedback that they need.
- Fair process.
- Written record of an employee’s tenure with the company, their rapport with their manager and colleagues, and their history of policy compliance as outlined in the employee handbook.
So, in a way, managers have the employee feedback notes open for all employees.
The manager will track anything where the employee exceeded expectations and also document any performance issues.
The HR team will have access to this session and will be able to support the management team when needed.
This alternative is more aligned with new practices and it helps the manager think about providing feedback to employees and keeping records of the good things too, giving managers and HR teams a better representation of what is happening and fostering a culture of feedback and growth.
If you are looking for this tool is known as Feedback Notes for Employees at Nova.
Watch this video to learn more about these methods.
Additional tips.
You can encourage the employee to share their perspective on the situation by saying, “I want to hear what you think has been happening with your behavior in the workplace.”
When dealing with a disrespectful employee who constantly insists on being right, it can be beneficial to reassure them that making mistakes is acceptable. You could say, “It is okay to make mistakes. That is how we learn and grow in our careers. However, it’s important to learn from our mistakes. I won’t think less of you when you make mistakes.”
To firmly reinforce the consequences of disrespectful behavior, reiterate the workplace’s zero-tolerance policy by saying, “This workplace has zero-tolerance for bullying and belittling behavior.” This assertive statement emphasizes the seriousness of the situation and underscores the importance of adhering to workplace standards.
In a way, whether you’re using incident management or feedback notes, tracking employee performance is crucial for fostering a productive and supportive work environment.
We’d love to hear about your experiences with these methods.
Share your thoughts in the comments below! And if you’re interested in streamlining your performance management process, why not explore Nova?
Visit our website to create an account today and discover how Nova can elevate your team’s performance tracking and management.
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