Being in a leadership position at your company in New York brings many rewarding opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. It also brings its fair share of uncomfortable situations, including conversations with employees about their conduct.
Disciplinary actions in particular, can have detrimental effects on your company and your employees if not handled carefully.
The need for confidentiality
One of the best things you can do for your company and employees in need of discipline is to keep everything confidential. In many cases, protecting the privacy of your employees is a matter of following the law. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, plan for the conversation to take place in a private location. Eliminate the risk of interruptions.
When you protect the details of the situation, you can protect your employee from humiliation and loss of credibility. This allows him or her a fighting chance to correct performance issues without the ridicule or judgment of coworkers. Employees who know that their situation remains confidential may feel valued and more motivated to improve their performance.
The value of consistency
Establish clear guidelines for your company’s disciplinary policies and make this information accessible to your employees. For example, you could implement a “3-strikes” policy where you allow three chances for performance improvement before termination.
In all disciplinary meetings, provide a timeline for when you expect improvements in performance. You should also inform the employee of the next step if you do not see any improvement. Even though some situations may appear less serious than others, applying the same rules consistently will show your employees that you expect them all to abide by company policies.
