How to tell if your employees are NOT developing at work

What happens if you think your staff are becoming stagnate and losing the abilities they once had? We give you a list of things to look out for and how you can fix the problems.

They take longer to do tasks

Do they take longer on tasks which used to take them no time at all? If this is the case it could signify that they are going backwards in their development. They may have lost motivation because they are not learning anything new.

Tip: Explain that you've noticed a change in the pace of their work and if there are any reasons why. You can then begin helping them get back up to speed by giving them more time frames, deadlines and feedback. Have a read of our article for top tips which tells you how to coach your staff rather than manage them.

They are asking for more help than they used to 

Asking for help is usually a good thing, however, if it is becoming more and more frequent, it could suggest that they are no longer learning. It is your job to ensure that they are fully trained and well equipped to do their job the best that they can.

Tip: Introduce short training that your staff can do every day this will help keep their knowledge topped up. Engage offers small 1-5 minute learning modules that staff can complete when they have time. Virgin Media saw an increase of 7.4% in their knowledge rating from customers in just three months! Along with a 2.2% average increase in sales every single month!

Their work isn't quite up to scratch

Do they shy away from certain tasks on the shop floor and you're not sure why? Or do they lack enthusiasm when serving your customers?

Tip: You need to find out if they can't do it, or they simply won't do it. If it is because they can't do it because they feel they don't know enough, or don't have the correct training in place then you need to provide this for them. Using employee apps like Engage, allows your staff to learn independently. By loading help guides, how-to documents, manuals and policies, staff can learn and stay up to scratch whenever and wherever they want to.

They pass the blame onto others a lot

People who genuinely haven't done their work properly, pass the blame onto others because it is easier to blame someone else than accept responsibility and actually do the work themselves. This could be a sign they are becoming lazy.

Tip: Speak to the member of staff and find out their reasons for blaming someone else, if there is no logical reason then you'll have to explain that you have noticed their work standard is slipping and set your expectations for the next time. This will develop them in terms of standards they must live up to, and let them know exactly what is not acceptable. If they're not being challenged then they are not being developed.

They come up with more problems than they do solutions

Sometimes this is because they don't have the confidence to solve the problems so they ask management to clarify their solutions. Other times, it is because they simply don't have the answers, which means again they need more regular training.

Tip: Most employees would like to make more decisions so it is your job to clarify exactly what their responsibilities are and what they should be making decisions about. Reinforce the fact that they won't be punished if they do make their own conclusions. Use a microlearning app to get employees to read through possible scenarios and ask them what their decision would be e.g. a customer comes into the store and wants to return a pair of shoes because they don't like the colour. Do you...

A. Let them return the shoe.

B. Only let them exchange as they are not faulty.

C. Do not exchange or return the shoe as it is their own fault.

Want to unlock the performance of your frontline teams?

Ocasta Engage unlocks the performance of your frontline teams through comms, microlearning and knowledge. Customers include Next, Virgin Media O2, Burgertory and Tesco Mobile, who have achieved desirable results, including; 

• 98% engagement rates 

• 3.75x more recognition amongst their teams

• 94% of all comms being read.