The corrective action on the worker

The paper “ What Would Be the Most Effective Action Plan to Take in the Case of Uneffective Worker?” is an inspiring example of a case study on human resources. In Gordo’s case, Lottner, his manager did right in skipping the coaching step in the Performance Correction Plan steps. This was because Gordo is a highly trained individual who has further had seventeen years of experience. This, therefore, pointed to other issues affecting Gordos performance. Lottner, therefore, did his part in following the second step and warning the employee in question, Gordo, verbally. After a further decline in performance, Gordo was given the warning to improve his performance within a period of five months. A formal written warning followed later a year after when his sales continued to decline. What would be the most effective action plan to take in Gordos case?

The first step of the action plan would be to put the performance issue in writing and make the subject aware of the claims they faced. The problems ought to be specified in fine details to prevent any ambiguity and scapegoat on the part of the employee. The next step would be to establish expectations and set targets for the employee as well as detailing a course of action to take in case the expectations were not met. All the changes and skills that are required from the employee should be implicitly stated. These are all steps that had been followed by Lottner in Gordos case (McGraw-Hill, 2012). An example of a SMART goal to set would be “ In August, September, and October, Gordo must have made more than 90% of his sales deliverables and sell at least 150 pieces of equipment per month, he should also have a perfect attendance of periodic review meetings with his supervisor, failure to which action will be taken against him” Training the subject would be ineffective since the individual has already been adequately trained and had accrued seventeen years of experience. This eliminated any preliminary need for him to start training before the actual action plan.

The third step would involve the establishment of timelines for the underperforming employee. This would be a time in which he would be required to get back on track or face the consequences outlined. Timelines would be crucial since they would give an employee time required to get his house in order. The subject, Gordo, proved to have a knack for avoiding timelines. This was seen in the manner in which he was able to get his sales temporarily up. After the time set for him elapsed, his sales then gradually declined to their prior levels. A clause should be made in the written agreement in order to ensure that sales stayed high after the time stated implicitly in the agreement elapsed. The fourth step would involve assigning both the supervisor, in this case, Lottner, and the employee tasks in order to assist in achieving the improvements outlined in the expectations. The employee would then be availed with the tools that they require to achieve the targets set. The tools provided should be in the form of physical tools or support from supervisors and staff. Lottner would need to periodically and regularly check up on progress made by the employee in question. This would ensure continual working culture installation in the employee ensuring that high standards were maintained all through their work. The employee should also be asked for input on whether the goals set are actionable, fair and reasonable.  The fifth step would be to decide on a model of evaluation. This would determine how the employee would be reviewed and the frequency of evaluation. Periodic meetings and conferences should be scheduled to discuss issues, challenges, and achievements encountered in terms of the performance correction plan. The sixth and final step would be to review the action plan with the employee and understand that they understand everything stated in it. Employers should also ensure that employees are ready to meet the consequences in the case improvements are not made (McGraw-Hill, 2012). It would be salient to ensure that both the supervisor and employee sign the agreement to ensure a reference point when the time elapses.

Gordo’s case point not to a skill or a communication problem, but rather a behavioral issue. This is evident with the excuses that he offers for his lack of delivery on sales targets. He states that consumption is on the drop while other agents working in the same geographic region exhibit sales improvements. He also cites the lack of company support and desirability of goods by consumers which is wrong. Also, his lack of appreciation for his associates who covered for him ensuring his sales quota was met points to something other than skill or communication. Follow up would, therefore, be crucial in performance rehabilitation. The seventh and final step would be to ensure the inclusion of a human resource professional or employment attorney in the corrective action on the worker. Labour laws are different from one state to another and therefore, lack of proper interpretation would cause judicial issues which could hamper the execution of the whole procedure.