Using virtual tools for those serious work conversations

As people crave their old routines and wonder when things will be “back to normal,” we all know that whatever was normal before no longer exists, or at least is not likely to return anytime soon. Yet, even as we, as county government officials, continue to respond to the ever-changing impacts of the pandemic, human resource offices have understood that there is plenty of “normal” still going on. On top of everything else, supervisors must grapple with the difficult tasks of employee discipline and termination.

There is a critical need right now for coaching employees who are struggling with their work, whether that’s due to the transition to working from home, the anxiety that comes from having to juggle full-time work with full-time childcare, or any number of issues, whether associated with the pandemic or not. As we all know, however, in certain cases, supervisors must take the next steps to demonstrate just how serious an employee’s ongoing insufficient performance or problematic behavior is, or to start creating the record that will support an eventual termination. Because you can’t wait on these issues until work life goes back to normal, employers must find a way to have these all too familiar discussions in a new, less familiar world.

At the very least, all these other virtual meetings and one-on-one discussions we have been having over the last 10 weeks are preparing us to have difficult conversations in much the same manner. Given the serious nature of conversations imposing discipline, video-enabled calls, with all parties having their videos actually on, are the best technological option.

As with in-person conversations, you want your tone to be clear with little room for misinterpretation. You also want to be able to gauge your employee’s reaction. Some employees receive this kind of information with little response and you need to know that they are still present and listening. You do not want to have to frequently ask for reassurance that they are still there on the phone. The following are some additional suggestions for issuing a disciplinary document virtually:

• Schedule a time for the meeting to take place virtually, and make sure everyone has the link. Let the employee know you will be checking in to discuss performance and give feedback.
• Let the employee know the specific reason for the meeting and that you will be sending them a document to review.
• Once the conversation has started, email the employee the document you will be reviewing. After sending the email, wait for the document to be received and confirm the employee is able to open the document. Ask them to confirm receipt of the document by replying to the email. It works best to send the document rather than sharing the document on the presenter’s screen. This allows the person receiving the document to scroll to the end and skim the document, which can lower anxiety. Otherwise, the employee is likely to be so focused wondering what the bottom line is that they are unable to listen or take part in the discussion.
• Review and discuss the document.
• Give the staff person a chance to share their thoughts.
• Have them sign and return the document. This can work best if the document if a fillable pdf, so they don’t have to print and scan. If none of these options are available, you may rely on their email confirming receipt of the document.
• Remind them that they are a valuable team member and you are confident they can make the necessary performance changes to bring their performance up to the required expectations.

It is also important to take the experiences you have had since beginning working from home to prepare you to avoid the pitfalls of virtual communication. Make sure the most important material that you are trying to convey is in the document. Even if your telecommunication technology has been performing well for you, freezes and skips in the audio are always possible. You do not want essential information being missed because you only addressed it verbally and it was interrupted by a brief technological malfunction. If you don’t already have a practice of having a human resources representative present for these conversations, make that change now. In addition to acting as a witness to the conversation, if you get disconnected from the call, they can keep the discussion moving until you are able to reconnect.

While these tips could also be used in a termination or separation, there are additional pieces to consider that make an in-person conversation the better choice, if at all possible. The employee has county equipment, a computer, keys or access card, purchasing card, etc., all of which you need turned in. Meeting in person to issue a dismissal will also allow the employee the opportunity to retrieve any personal items from their workspace immediately, rather than having to schedule it for another time, drawing out the uncomfortable experience. If the employee asks why you need them to meet with you when they have been telecommuting for weeks, be honest, and let them know you need to discuss their performance.

These conversations are never comfortable, and our collective situation now doesn’t help the communication and discussion that accompany an honest, yet serious and difficult feedback conversation. As with coaching, it is important to take whatever steps you can to keep the communication clear and concise. Know that these conversations are tough for employees to hear. But we cannot avoid them, and we must keep in mind, as well, serving citizens with outstanding public service requires all employees to perform.