Managing individual performance

Managing employees’ performance is a continuous process supported by the Behaviours Framework. A key part of this is the Performance Appraisal.

Managing performance involves making sure that employees contribute to the goals of their team, Service, Resource and the council as a whole. The aim is to continuously improve the performance of individuals and that of the council.

Good performance management will contribute to employees’ understanding of:

• our overall values and objectives;
• their role in contributing to these values and objectives;
• the skills and competencies they need to fulfil their role ;
• the standards of performance required;
• how they can develop their performance; and
• when there are performance problems and what to do about them.

When performance issues are identified, it is essential for you and the employee to remedy any problems at the earliest opportunity. You should discuss your concerns and provide an opportunity for the employee to explain why they are having performance issues. You should also consider, for example, if the standards set were inappropriate; was the employee given inadequate instruction, training or supervision? If this is the case, you must acknowledge this with the employee and put measures in place to correct this immediately.

For detailed guidance on how to manage an employee’s performance, you should refer to the Performance Management Policy. In addition to the policy there is also a useful e-learning module available called “Managing underperformance and conduct” which provides guidance to help you take a more pro-active approach to dealing with performance issues before they escalate.