Experience Letters for Poor Performance: Is It Possible and How to Format It?

Hi,

I want to know, can we give an experience letter for poor performance? Please tell me the format.

Thanks,
Jareena

Dear Jareena,

Experience letter is given based on the length of service unless there is a serious issue like a theft case. It is not a valid reason to withhold an experience letter. You should definitely provide an experience letter.

Regards,

Do not mention "Performance" in the experience letter. You can mention the other points, such as length of service, designation, reason for leaving, etc.

Regards

Dear Jareena, not everyone is smart in this world. The smartness of smart persons gains value because there are some less intelligent individuals.

For the poor performance, you are removing that person. That, in itself, is a punishment. Now, why do you wish to tamper with someone's career by not issuing the experience letter?

You may issue a neutral service certificate. It can include basic details such as:

a) Name of the employee/employee No.
b) Date of Joining
c) Designation when joined
d) Salary when joined
e) Details of promotions acquired
f) Date of Exit (last working day)
g) Designation and salary while leaving employment
h) Reasons for leaving: - on his/her own accord

Ok...

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

Dear Jareena,

Nowadays, the HR scenario has drastically changed. Gone are the days of simply trusting anybody's certificate. Furthermore, an individual's performance depends on many factors, including the environment they were brought up in, which essentially shapes them. It is a complex phenomenon. I have seen many individuals who were underperformers in one company (X Company) and turned out to be meritorious performers in another company (Y Company) after just a couple of years.

Since the employee has worked with your organization, it is only fair that they are entitled to a certificate reflecting their employment. Now, it is up to your management whether they are generous enough to part ways with a clear heart or not. It is a common practice for employers to issue certificates and wish every employee a bright future unless the employee has been charged with misconduct.

Regards,
Arun Dixit

Experience Letter for Poor Performance

If the concerned person has served the desired notice period and has completed the necessary procedures of your organization, you should not hold back their experience letter. It doesn't send a good signal that due to non-performance, we are withholding the experience letter. Instead, I would blame the reporting manager for not taking steps to improve the employee's performance in their current role.

As an HR professional, what measures have you taken to ensure that the employee improves their performance? I hope your organization has a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) process for addressing non-performance. If not, you should consider implementing one, as it will help you monitor non-performance and reduce your attrition rate.

Regards,
Derek Gomes

Why do you want to keep a person with poor performance? In my view, issuing an experience letter for poor performance should not be done except for government employees. Only government employees can continue in the job with poor performance.

Thank you.

In general, an experience letter is a certificate to show that a person has worked in a said concern under such terms (as mentioned by Dinesh). When it comes to performance evaluations, many experience letters often mention the individual as a top performer, wishing them success in their future endeavors and so on.

If someone is a non-performer, there is no need to include those praising lines in the letter. However, it is important to mention other genuine aspects as highlighted by Dinesh. This should not be a reason to withhold an experience letter for anyone.

Regards,

Dear Jareena,

An experience letter is issued for the duration during which the individual was employed with us. Regardless of their performance, it reflects the time spent and the role held. Matters concerning performance evaluations, salary increments, or promotions are addressed through different documents like a performance certificate or details of salary progression.

Therefore, the issuance of an experience letter should not be withheld based on performance concerns.

Regards,
Bhoo Prakash

I agree with babanaresh here. If an employee is corrupt and has committed a significant mistake or caused a problem for the company, then they cannot be eligible for a Good Experience Letter.

In my organization, we used to give service letters to employees who have completed their probation period, outlining the grounds for resignation and terminations. This means that employees who have been involved in a disciplinary case are entitled to receive service letters, with the content reflecting the seriousness of the case. The letter would be addressed "To Whom It May Concern" and would simply state that the particular employee was employed from this date to that date at (company name), holding the position of ________ in the ________ department at the time of his/her resignation.

Thank you.

Dear Jereena,

"Experience" certificate (TC) for having worked. Do not confuse it with a "Performance" certificate (Marklist). You are handling HR activities, a key function of any organization. You should not be so confused on such matters. Do not put careers at risk.

Good luck!

Don't provide an experience of poor performance, as it can decrease your chances of being selected.

Jareena,

Let us not try to spoil one's career. An experience letter speaks about experience details, not about the performance.

CRK

Hi,

In my opinion, the employee concerned here may be given a relieving letter, i.e., a letter with details of the duration of work, designation, etc. The sentences about the good work and conduct may be removed from the format.

Thanks,
Falguni Desai

Considerations for Addressing Poor Performance

Ask yourself some questions and then decide...

Have you tried to find the reason for poor performance? If he has committed fraud by providing the organization with a false experience certificate, what actions have been taken against him? If he was interviewed for the departmental position he currently holds or held previously, why was he assigned to that job? What training have you provided him to meet job expectations? Are his family circumstances or the job itself at fault for the poor performance?

I suggest not impeding someone's career unless they are involved in criminal activities or fraud (proven).

Dear Jareena,

You cannot judge performance on a normal scale. Furthermore, we HR professionals have a vital role in human resource development. If you are stating that an employee's performance is poor, it clearly indicates a failure on the part of HR personnel. Poor performance may be due to various factors such as:

1. Delayed responses
2. Arrogance
3. Pride
4. Interpersonal conflicts
5. Other reasons related to the work environment

Deelip

Understanding Experience Letters

Experience letters are not like "No Work - No Pay." They are certificates that confirm someone's employment with you for a specific period in a particular role, entitling them to a specific salary. It is customary to include a line regarding the individual's work and conduct (often described as "Good") as a token of farewell. Experience certificates should always convey a positive tone. Remember, you do not have the right to jeopardize someone's career.

The period an employee works in an organization is stated in the experience letter. However, the duration does not reflect whether the individual has excellent or poor performance. The experience letter only authentically states the duration from and to date (date, month, and year) the employee has worked in the organization. However, it is left up to the organization to include a few appreciative words about the individual concerned in the experience letter.

Regards,
Rama Mylapore

The format as requested...

This is to certify that Mr. MS has worked in our organization as [designation] from [start date] to [end date].
We wish him all the best in his future endeavors.

[Sign]