English 
Vietnamese It is that much-dreaded time of the year when you have to review your team members' performance. The processes are not only lengthy and complex but also emotionally charged. Not every one of your members will accept the reviews with ease. There are "difficult to deal with" individuals who have a cent or two about the verdicts.
Only if you can delegate the difficult task to someone else.
In this article, we will explore the importance of employee performance reviews, common challenges faced during the process, and effective strategies for handling different types of difficult employees.
We hope you can pick up on some tips and tricks for not only effectively reviewing but also engaging and developing your difficult employees.
Contents
The importance of employee performance reviews
Common challenges in conducting performance reviews
Understanding difficult team members
Steps to conduct the performance review for each type of difficult employee
Setting clear expectations and goals
Providing constructive feedback
Following up and monitoring progress
The importance of employee performance reviews
Employee performance reviews play a crucial role in the growth and development of both individuals and the organisation. They serve as a platform for recognising and appreciating the efforts of team members, identifying areas for improvement, and aligning individual goals with organisational objectives. Through regular performance reviews, you can foster a culture of open communication, transparency, and continuous learning within your team.
Performance reviews also provide an opportunity for employees to express their concerns, share their career aspirations, and seek guidance from their managers. They are an essential part of managing a successful team by providing an opportunity to assess the progress and contributions of each team member, offer feedback for improvement, and set goals for the future.
When conducted effectively, these reviews can boost employee morale, enhance job satisfaction, and strengthen the overall performance of the team.
Read more: Performance Review - Which Method is Right for Your Enterprise?
Common challenges in conducting performance reviews
While employee performance reviews are essential, they can present various challenges for managers. One of the most common challenges is dealing with difficult team members (which properly is why you are reading this article).
These individuals may exhibit disruptive, uncooperative behaviours or resistance to change, making the review process more challenging.
Another challenge is ensuring objectivity and fairness during the evaluation process. Managers need to set aside personal biases and evaluate employees based on their performance and achievements. This requires a systematic approach, including clear evaluation criteria, documentation of performance data, and consistency across all reviews.
Lastly, time management can be a significant challenge, especially for managers with large and dispersed teams. It is essential to allocate sufficient time for each review, provide meaningful feedback, and engage in constructive discussions with team members. Proper planning and organisation are crucial to ensuring the review process is thorough and effective.
Read more: Why It is Crucial to Foster an Engaged Workforce
Understanding difficult team members
Difficult team members can pose unique challenges during the performance review process. It is important to understand the underlying reasons for their behaviour to address their concerns effectively and provide appropriate feedback.
These are seven common types of difficult employees you may encounter in the workplace:
1. The Undecider
The Undecider is someone who struggles with decision-making and often second-guesses themselves.
Scheduling the performance review meeting with The Undecider will be a challenge because of their indecisiveness and reluctance to commit to a date and time. Meetings may be postponed or cancelled, and booking may be difficult. During the review, they struggle to identify accomplishments, self-assess, and set clear goals. They respond vaguely to feedback and evasively follow up on goals.
The Undecider's ambiguity poses challenges for managers seeking accountability and growth.
2. The Ultra-Competitor
The Ultra-Competitor is highly driven and always strives for perfection. They may become overly critical of themselves and others.
While normally ambitious, during this period, they take it to the next level. When scheduling the review meeting, they will want it immediately, as they are eager to showcase their successes, believing they outperformed peers. Self-assessments are glowing, with no room for improvement. They view development goals as mere formalities, striving to surpass past records and sustain their competitive advantage.
The Ultra-Competitor's competitiveness, while driving results, can clash with a growth mindset intended for reviews. Their insistence on sole exceptionalism and disregard for critiques hinder development and teamwork.
Read more: Giving "difficult" high performers special treatment: yes or no?
3. The Drama Queen
The Drama Queen thrives on drama and often creates unnecessary conflicts within the team.
In their minds, reviews are make-or-break, life-or-death situations where they could face brutal condemnation. During reviews, the Drama Queen is emotional, deflecting praise and reacting defensively to feedback. Follow-ups lead to more breakdowns and excuses, portraying small progress as significant struggles. Additional criticism triggers dramatic responses, leading them to believe they have learned nothing and feel targeted by management.
The Drama Queen's antics test managers' skills. While their performance is the focus, their fragile ego and self-doubt require empathy and reassurance that their identity is not defined by a job.
4. The Iconoclast
The Iconoclast is someone who challenges traditional norms and approaches. They may question authority and resist conformity. So performance reviews, with their standard procedures and expectations, are met with natural scepticism and rebellion.
In the review itself, feedback is seen as an oppressive judgement of what really matters—pioneering new ideas. They dismiss development goals as impeding their free-thinking style. Follow-ups become opportunities to debate paradigms rather than results.
The Iconoclast's unrestrained drive pushes progress, but clashing with structural oversight endangers their position. Reviews require flexibility on both sides: managers are open to disentangling brilliance from defiance, and Iconoclasts are willing to guide disruptions towards cooperation. Finding alignment amidst tension tests all involved.
Read more: Why a Growth Mindset Is What You Need for Life Success
5. The Volcano
The Volcano has a volatile temper and tends to erupt when faced with challenges or criticism.
The performance review is like approaching the mouth of an active volcano for the manager. Getting the meeting scheduled could involve tense exchanges, as this employee constantly simmers with irritation.
During the review and follow-ups, even minor criticisms could launch seething tirades. Progress reports boil over with the idea that the job itself is a systemic failure rather than employee shortcomings.
Navigating these eruptions strains any manager's composure. While performance remains the priority, calmly channelling this intensity into motivation versus disruption tests even the most stalwart of supervisors.
6. The Procrastinator
The Procrastinator tends to delay tasks and often struggles with time management. For them, performance review time instils dread rather than excitement.
Scheduling the actual meeting becomes a prolonged ordeal of avoidance, as they put it off with flimsy excuses while hoping it just goes away. Follow-ups from management yield only greater procrastination as the review date looms.
When finally face-to-face, the Procrastinator arrives with little prep and circles back to early goals, still only half-addressed. Development planning triggers resistance as new goals surface old excuses not to commit. Deadlines seem unrealistic given their lagging style.
Managing the Procrastinator requires empathy for struggles combined with structure. Gentle accountability for thoughtful, incremental progress helps shift a stalling mindset towards self-motivation.
Read more: 3 Key Steps to Keep You From Overrating Your Leadership Skills
7. The Social Media Addict
The Social Media Addict is constantly distracted by social media and may struggle with maintaining focus on work-related tasks.
The Social Media Addict finds performance review time anxiety-inducing, struggling to stay focused during the meeting due to constant phone distractions. The challenges with The Social Media Addict stem from an inability to disconnect, even temporarily, from important work matters.
To fully engage them in the review process, they need gentle coaching on time management and focus.
Steps to conduct the performance review for each type of difficult employee
Preparing for performance reviews is crucial to ensuring a productive and meaningful discussion with each team member. When dealing with difficult employees, it becomes even more important to be well-prepared and equipped to handle their specific challenges.
For each type of difficult employee, take the following steps to prepare for the performance review:
- The Undecider: Review their decision-making processes and previous performance. Identify areas where they struggle with decision-making and gather resources to help them improve.
- The Ultra-Competitor: Recognise their achievements and gather specific examples of their competitive behaviour. Prepare constructive feedback on maintaining a healthy balance between competition and collaboration.
- The Drama Queen: Document any conflicts or issues caused by their dramatic tendencies. Prepare to address these issues objectively and provide guidance on improving interpersonal skills.
- The Iconoclast: Review their innovative contributions and evaluate their impact on the team. Prepare to discuss the importance of finding a balance between innovation and following established processes.
- The Volcano: Gather specific instances where their temper has negatively impacted the team. Prepare to provide feedback on managing emotions and maintaining professionalism.
- The Procrastinator: Review their past performance and identify areas where they struggle with time management. Prepare strategies and resources to help them improve their time management skills.
- The Social Media Addict: Document instances where excessive social media usage has affected their productivity. Prepare guidelines on appropriate technology usage and offer suggestions for better time management.
By tailoring your preparation to each type of difficult employee, you can ensure that the performance review addresses their specific challenges and provides actionable feedback for improvement.
Setting clear expectations and goals
Setting clear expectations and goals is a critical component of employee performance reviews. It serves as a guide for both the employee and the manager, guaranteeing that everyone is in sync and striving for the same goals. When dealing with difficult team members, setting clear expectations becomes even more important to address their specific challenges.
During the performance review, clearly communicate the performance expectations for the upcoming period. Discuss specific goals and targets that align with the employee's role and responsibilities. Evaluate their performance against these expectations using objective and measurable criteria. By setting clear expectations and goals, you provide a framework for success and enable difficult team members to understand what is expected of them.
Providing constructive feedback
Constructive feedback is essential for employee growth and development. It helps individuals identify their strengths and areas for improvement, enabling them to enhance their performance and reach their full potential. When providing feedback to difficult team members, it is important to approach it in a constructive and non-confrontational manner.
Start by highlighting the employee's strengths and achievements. This creates a positive foundation for the feedback and helps build trust. Then, address areas where improvement is needed. Be specific, and provide examples to illustrate your points. Offer suggestions and resources to help them address their challenges and improve their performance. Finally, end the feedback session on a positive note, emphasising your belief in their ability to overcome their difficulties and succeed.
Addressing performance issues
During the performance review, it is essential to address any performance issues hindering the employee's progress.
For example, if a Drama Queen has caused conflicts within the team, address these instances and discuss the impact on team dynamics. Provide guidance on improving their communication and conflict-resolution skills. If a Procrastinator struggles with meeting deadlines, discuss the consequences of their delays and offer strategies for improving their time management.
Addressing performance issues requires a balance between being firm and supportive. It is important to hold the employee accountable while providing resources and guidance for improvement. By addressing performance issues head-on, you can help difficult team members overcome their challenges and contribute to the success of the team.
Read more: Is Your Company Facing These Hidden Succession Planning Flaws?
Following up and monitoring progress
The performance review is just the beginning of the employee's journey towards improvement and growth. To ensure the effective implementation of the feedback from the review, it is crucial to follow up and monitor their progress.
You can organise and schedule regular check-ins with each individual to discuss their progress, address any challenges they may be facing, and offer support/ guidance/ additional resources as needed. It is also important to celebrate milestones and achievements along the way to reinforce positive behaviour and motivate continued improvement.
Monitoring progress also involves tracking performance metrics and evaluating the impact of the employee's efforts to keep them motivated and engaged. By actively following up and monitoring progress, you can ensure that the performance review translates into tangible improvements and sustained growth.
Well, if you have made it this far, congratulations on surviving the volcanic eruptions, dramatic displays, and endless distractions to actually review your difficult employees! Navigating these personalities is no easy feat, but we hope these strategies help you guide even the most challenging team members towards reaching their potential.
Of course, the best solution is to simply "clone" your most high-performing, agreeable employees, which will make your review period a breeze!
Jokes aside, you may be dreading the process of performance reviews because of how subjective they are. Honestly speaking, without structured processes in place, even your most easy-to-please employees will not be satisfied with what they receive.
So what are the alternatives? Feedforward, 360-degree feedback, continuous feedback, or a combination of approaches to tailor the process to the unique needs of your team.
Unsure where to start, or what to do? Check out our brochure and see how our range of people-focused solutions can elevate your talent management game. Download today!
