As an HR leader, you work every day to support your employees and set them up for success. Still, whether intentionally or inadvertently, it’s likely that some of them will violate a policy, display questionable behavior, or fail to meet expectations at some point.
While you must address these situations quickly, it can be challenging to know how to do so appropriately. Statistically speaking, 70% of employees — including managers — avoid difficult conversations in the workplace for this very reason.
One way to make these conversations less daunting is to prepare for them by reviewing your policies and collecting concrete evidence. Also, make sure you conduct these meetings in a fair, constructive, and collaborative manner.
If this is something your team struggles with, you’re not alone. Consider the following advice on how to make difficult disciplinary conversations more meaningful and productive for all involved.
The Importance of Disciplinary Conversations in the Workplace
Disciplinary conversations are necessary to address issues of misconduct that can bring down team productivity and morale. By addressing problems quickly, you promote a culture of accountability among all of your employees.
Additionally, disciplinary conversations help you maintain compliance. If you need to terminate an employee due to their conduct or lack of performance, it’s important to be able to show that you followed established policies and laws to avoid regulatory penalties and possible lawsuits.
Finally, disciplinary conversations can help employees improve their overall performance. These conversations can act as a form of constructive feedback to help reset employee expectations and refocus their efforts on meeting their goals.
How to Prepare for Productive Disciplinary Conversations
Preparation is key if you want to see positive results from your disciplinary conversations. It’s important to note that, in particular, performance discussions should be held between the employee and the manager, with HR supporting the manager in the background. If the disciplinary discussion is performance-based, the recommendations below should be shared with your managers. Typically, conduct discussions are held between HR and the employee, so the recommendations below vary slightly based on who is structuring the conversation. In general, here are three things you need to do before you invite your employees to talk about their behavior or performance.
Gather Facts
Gather and review evidence of the employee’s poor behavior or performance. You’ll need concrete examples, not vague opinions from a manager or other employees. Consider gathering performance or attendance data, written evidence like emails or text messages, or descriptions of specific interactions.
Understand Policies
You should also review your company policies (and, if necessary, legal regulations) to gain clarity on how the employee’s performance or behavior is falling short of expectations. This will help you speak about violations with greater confidence and understanding.
Set the Right Tone
Assess your own thoughts and feelings to ensure that you’re not coming across negatively. Remember that the point of the meeting is to support employees and help them improve.
Steps for Structuring the Conversation the Right Way
How you conduct the meeting can have a significant impact on its success. Take the following steps to ensure you structure your conversation appropriately:
- State the objective of the meeting so the employee knows why they’re there
- Start out on a positive note, letting the employee know they are valued
- Present the facts of the situation using the concrete evidence you have gathered
- Explain why the behavior or performance is problematic for the team or company using examples of company policies or laws that have been violated
- Ask the employee to repeat or explain what they heard to ensure understanding
- Allow the employee a chance to explain their behavior or performance
- Present a plan for moving forward and ask the employee for their feedback
- Agree on and document future goals (and a timeline for meeting them) and explain the consequences for failing to meet them
Structuring your conversation in this manner can increase the chances of a smooth disciplinary meeting and improve outcomes for everyone.
After the Conversation: Follow-Up Is Crucial
Following up with the employee after the conversation lets them know that you genuinely care about their improvement and provides an avenue for accountability.
In your follow-up, always point the employee back to the documented action plan and review their progress in meeting stated goals. Provide encouragement to help them stay on track and, if necessary, remind them of impending consequences if they don’t.
Remember that progress monitoring is also a way for you to become aware of and provide any support the employee may need along the way. This can reassure the employee that you are committed to their improvement and can help to foster a culture of trust and open dialogue.
Common Disciplinary Meeting Mistakes and Best Practices
When conducting disciplinary meetings, it’s important to:
- Avoid vague communication that could be confusing
- Schedule meetings during low-stress times, such as the end of the workday
- Offer concrete goals and solutions to provide clarity on how to improve
- Focus on the issue at hand and avoid discussing other problems
- Stay calm and respectful, even if the employee becomes hostile
Keeping these best practices in mind will help you build and maintain a more positive workplace culture, even when it comes to difficult conversations.
Disciplinary Conversations Can Be a Tool for Employee Growth
Disciplinary conversations aren’t a way to reinforce employee shortcomings but a tool for helping employees learn and grow from their mistakes. This approach allows you to support your employees while maintaining high standards for behavior and performance.
If you’re looking to create disciplinary policies that support a healthy workplace culture, VirgilHR can help. Our automated tool enables you to streamline legal research on ever-changing regulations so you can stay aligned.
Schedule a demo today so you can have more compliant disciplinary procedures throughout your organization.
