Struggling with a Non-Performing Senior Employee: How to Draft a Final Notice Email?

Dear Experts, I am working in a small IT company as an HR Executive. One senior employee joined our company as DGM - Defence Sales in the year 2011. After being with us for 2 years, his performance was not up to the mark. In April 2014, we decided to upgrade his position from DGM to Bid Manager so he could better justify his role. However, we are still facing the same problem. His current designation is Bid Manager, but he is performing his job more like a coordinator. Despite his rich experience of over 26 years, he cleverly shifts the blame to other departments for any incomplete work or tasks.

Guidance Needed for Drafting a Final Notice Email

Please guide me on drafting a smart and professional email as a final notice where he will need to address the following:

1. No response to several emails from his boss and no improvement in working style despite numerous meetings.
2. Blaming other departments for work-related issues.
3. Not taking work seriously.
4. Heavy dependence on other departments - what are his responsibilities as a Bid Manager?
5. Lack of ownership as the sole Bid Manager in the department.

Your prompt reply will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Dimple Singh

Performance Evaluation and Corrective Measures

What targets were given, and by how much has he fallen short? Were midterm reviews of targets carried out along with corrective steps, etc.? Upgrading a non-performer is counterproductive and goes against the basic theme of non-performance. You demote non-performers; you do not promote them. As a bid manager, did he have authority over other departments in obtaining information, etc.? Non-biased performance reviews need to be conducted, and if there is no improvement, then he can be given notice and an exit route.

When it comes to drafting a letter/email, kindly provide a draft for correction, amendment, etc., by senior members of the forum. The whole situation needs careful handling because non-cooperation by other departments does happen and hampers the fulfillment of targets.

Regards

The problems of this kind arise because of two reasons. One is that proper performance targets are not defined. Mr. Nathrao has asked this question in the very first sentence. The second reason is that proper systems and processes might not be defined.

While designing the targets, you need to base them on (a) direct and indirect costs associated with each department and (b) the process flow of each department.

Last but not least, possibly, at the time of recruitment, the interviewer got carried away because of the length of the experience. Whether the person has the requisite job competencies was not ascertained. Today, the person has become a liability.

In the meantime, to avoid the blame game, is it possible to make concerned departments also report to him? With all the associated departments under his wings, he will not have anyone to blame.

As a part of the solution, look for his replacement. Give him/her the designation of Senior Bid Manager. Tell this fellow to report to this new person. He will put in his papers within 1-2 months. But this is only an ad hoc solution. Sometimes, you need to design a comprehensive Performance Management System (PMS) that assigns scientific targets and eliminates the blame game.

If the solution of Senior Bid Manager is not possible, then give him a show cause notice for poor performance. When he gives a reply, issue a warning letter, stating that the reply was not acceptable. After 2-3 months, issue him one more show cause notice. Again, tell him that the reply was not satisfactory. The third time, issue a notice and ask why services cannot be terminated. However, this is a long-drawn procedure.

Regarding the draft of the notice, as Mr. Nathrao has stated, please write it yourself and upload it here. Some seniors like me will correct it. This is the internal matter of your company, and we outsiders do not know the facts. Any notice has to be factual, and who else than you or your senior would know the facts?

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear Experts, Thank you so much for sharing your valuable input. Please have a look at the below draft notice:

To,

Mr. XYZ

Referring to the meeting held on 10th July 2015 and the meetings we have had in the last 6 months, it has been brought to our attention through discussions and email complaints (attached) received by your reporting managers currently and in the past. I would like to state that I have not been receiving any positive responses or working feedback from present and past colleagues and your reporting boss. The feedback I have received from these sources indicates that you do not seem to be taking your job seriously and are approaching your work very casually.

Performance Review:

Since your joining the organization and taking on the role of Bid Manager in April 2014, your performance has not met the expectations or Key Result Areas (KRAs) set for you and signed by you. This has resulted in categorizing you as a poor performer, leading to willful insubordination and gross negligence of duties in your role as Bid Manager (the lead of the bid team).

Despite numerous meetings and written warnings given to you until last month for improvements in the areas highlighted as needing enhancement, your work performance continues to be unsatisfactory. The following issues have been noted over the past years:

• Your approach towards closing cases lacks initiative and self-drive, showing a lack of motivation and interest in case conversions.

• Failure to focus on meeting the closing numbers as per your defined target.

• Lack of leadership qualities and understanding of the business and your role responsibilities.

Required Action:

You are advised to submit your written explanation or confirmation regarding the claims made against you within 7 days. We are providing you with this month (August 2015) as a timeframe to justify your work and role. Otherwise, management will have no choice but to initiate disciplinary action against you.

I am awaiting all your suggestions on the same.

Regards, Dimple

Draft Letter for Performance Improvement

Please refer to the meeting held on [date] between [names] on the subject of [topic].

You have been appointed as [position] with key result areas (KRA) of [specific duties].

Despite reminders, there has been a considerable shortfall in achieving the KRA. Shortfalls in business targets have amounted to Rs [amount].

It has also been noticed that prompt feedback and replies to emails addressed to you are either not being received in a timely manner or not at all.

You were previously warned on [date] for [reason], yet no improvement has been observed in your performance.

Please consider this as a final warning, urging you to enhance your professional performance and deliver results.

Feel free to amend this letter to better suit your requirements.

Dear Dimple,

Good attempt by you to prepare the draft of the notice. Kudos to you. Mr. Nathrao has shortened the long draft. There is a reason for it. If you wish to know why notices should be short and crisp, you may call me on my mobile. I will explain it to you. Secondly, you have added phrases like "willful insubordination." Mr. Nathrao has dropped that as well. Poor performance and willful insubordination are different.

Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
+91-

I join Dinesh in appreciating you for making the effort to post the draft and inviting suggestions for improvements/corrections. I would suggest that you REPLACE the line at the end [as per Nathrao's corrected draft]:

"This may please be treated as a final warning calling upon you to improve professional performance and deliver results"

WITH

"This may please be treated as a final warning calling upon you to submit tangible, concrete, and actionable steps that will lead to the improvement of your professional performance and the delivery of acceptable results ON OR BEFORE..........".

In such letters/communication, NEVER EVER leave things vague or floating concerning timelines and steps. Put the onus on him to say what he wants to do, and then you will have measurable parameters to compare later [if mutually agreeable measurable parameters are not possible].

You may include the line you mentioned 'Else management will be left with no other option but to initiate disciplinary action against you'. The consequences ought to be clear to him.

Most likely, this lack of clarity of communication in KRAs, etc., at the beginning COULD have led to this sorry state of affairs.

There's a LOT for the Company also to learn from this incident. Else, this could only repeat.

All the Best.

Regards,
TS

I join Dinesh in appreciating you for making the effort to post the draft and inviting suggestions for improvements/corrections. I would suggest you replace the line at the end [as per Nathrao's corrected draft]: "This may please be treated as a final warning calling upon you to improve professional performance and deliver results" WITH "This may please be treated as a final warning calling upon you to submit tangible, concrete, and actionable steps that will lead to the improvement of your professional performance and delivery of acceptable results ON OR BEFORE..........". In such letters/communications, NEVER EVER leave things vague or floating concerning timelines and steps. Put the onus on him to say what he wants to do, and then you have measurable parameters to compare later [if mutually agreeable measurable parameters are not possible]. You may include the line you mentioned 'Else management will be left with no other option but to initiate disciplinary action against you'. The consequences ought to be clear to him. Most likely, this lack of clarity of communication in KRAs, etc., at the beginning COULD have led to this sorry state of affairs. There's a LOT for the company also to learn from this incident. Else, this could only repeat with whoever else fills these positions later. All the best.

Regards, TS

Are you part of the HR department in the organization? Also, the position mentioned above as DGM... Is that "Deputy General Manager"?

This seems to be quite a high position in the organization to receive such a warning letter from HR. It would be a big step to issue such a letter without proper proof of the claim. He would have valuable 'bidding data' with him, so you would not want him in the organization with high dissatisfaction and a rebellious mood.

It does not seem very intelligent to promote the person to a suitable position so he can improve his performance. With his promotion, your organization has accepted his performance to be satisfactory (If you do not believe this statement, then please open and read what his promotion letter must have mentioned).

Also, you have mentioned that ".....smartly he put all the blame on other departments for any incomplete work/task." In that case, I think such a letter from HR may not result in any improvement but may damage things further.

Remember, in battle, you have to use your ammunition wisely... A fired bullet that does not kill is not only a non-recoverable waste but would also give away your safe hiding position to the enemy.

If the warning letter is demanded to be issued by the higher management, then the draft should be carefully prepared along with the consultancy of the signing authority. A common/general draft from an internet forum would not suffice. Generally, non-performance at such a high position is not handled by HR but by higher management directly.

If at all you issue a letter, there should be a clear indication (in terms of numbers) of non-performance against expectations. There should also be a measurable action plan (Cannot just say 'increase focus, improve approach, and understand business). Also, do not threaten about the possible measures that would be taken by the organization in the warning letter (You cannot initiate "disciplinary" action against "non-performance").

I think the main question you should ask yourself and your management is: Do they really want this person to improve and stay further in the organization?

Frankly, one cannot expect the guy to start learning 'your' organization processes/values now, after his 26+ years of experience elsewhere. If he is not the right person for your organization, then simply look for his replacement. If you think this letter is the first step towards sacking him, then there is no need to list him the options to show improvement. As Nathrao has indicated in his amended draft, just issue a plain and brief warning letter.

Best Regards,

Amod Bobade.