“Employee underperformance can be incredibly costly, especially when it isn’t properly dealt with. Know how to handle it correctly and stay within the law.”
“Unfortunately, employers will often delay approaching underperforming employees, as the task of confronting them may seem difficult – and potentially perilous if the manager is unsure of how to avoid legal risks.
However if you don’t act quickly to address underperformance, you may not only be failing your organisation and your team, but also the poorly performing employee.
It is the employer’s responsibility to set standards of performance in the workplace and if an underperformance problem is left unresolved, it can dampen the morale of other workers and the company as a whole. Plus, managers who overlook underperformance may be viewed unfavourably.
Any underperformance concern needs to be tackled head on. But simply being proactive is not enough.
Strict laws govern exactly how you must handle underperforming staff. Veer outside of the law during any part of the management process and you can leave yourself liable to huge financial and legal penalties.
If you mismanage an employee’s termination, the cost of merely defending an unfair dismissal claim can be tens of thousands of dollars. And unfair dismissal claims are at an all-time high, with over 33,000 claims lodged in the 2016–2017 financial year alone. On top of that, with the rise of lawyers offering no-win, no-fee services to their clients, the success rate of employers defending unfair dismissal cases is now lower than ever, below 40%. In this last financial year, the Fair Work Commission reported over 7000 settlements that involved money, including over 30 where the employee was awarded a payout in excess of $40,000.”
Luckily at HR Group we have a team of professionally trained consultants who have years of experience in this field that can help guide you through these often challenging times. For more information contact our friendly team on (02) 4936 6537 or email craig@hrgroup.com.au
As my term as President of the Maitland Business Chamber comes to an end I wanted to use this column to reflect on what has been important to me and how much I have valued my time as leader of this unique business group.
In my day to day job I work as an employment specialist and recruiter, and I love it as I build lasting relationships with a diverse group of people.
I see my time at the pointy end of the chamber as an extension of this and therefore this piece will honour some of the fantastic individuals I have worked alongside or people who have had major influences on me as a person and as a leader.
Firstly I want to thank the chamber staff who have had to put up with my constant ideas and projects.
Fiona Buchanan and I formed a strong bond and worked really well together over a number of years and I think as a team created a platform for growth for the organisation. Brianna Reid has since taken the mantle and has been a pleasure to work with and is innovative in her thinking and is a passionate local that I believe in to help drive the chamber forward.
To all of the Executive and ExOfficio members of the Chamber who have sat through a high volume of meetings I have chaired and contributed wise council to assist in the growth of the movement.
Your dedication to our city is immense and I believe not recognised enough.
Special mention must go to Pierre Malou who was my VP for the first 2 years of my leadership. He was an ear to bounce things off and a sounding board of my complaints. He is a true leader of people and to have him as my VP lead to great personal growth.
My buddy Duncan Burke of the NSW Chamber, if anyone had to listen to me complain during my time at the helm it is this guy. I think he respects my thinking about the chamber movement and I have valued the discussions and time we have spent together. You have taught me about how to control emotion and guide a conversation more than you would know.
The role only became available after Steve Thomson stepped down and I only agreed to fill his shoes if Greg Cox maintained the treasurer role at the beginning of my term. Greg is a quality human and I don’t like heaping praise on bean counters but this guy is special. Without him doing what he did for 4 years the chamber may not still exist.
When it comes to politics I do not like taking sides and I could be described as a swing voter and no matter the colour of their team I have enjoyed working with all sides of the benches.
Former Mayor Peter Blackmore was always a strong advocate for business in Maitland as was former NSW State Member Robyn Parker who I had the pleasure of working with before she retired from politics.
It has been great to watch former Chamber casual staff member Meryl Swanson take the seat of Paterson and she has been a font of knowledge during her term.
But my relationship has grown with Jenny Aitchison the most, the current NSW member for Maitland. I had known her in a former life (that seems like forever ago) as the leader of her own travel business but during her time in parliament she has really respected me as a person but also as the leader of the chamber. She has actively wanted to get engagement from our group on critical issues for our town. Thanks Jenny for being so inclusive of this newbie local leader.
I believe the chamber needs to continue the work we have started on evolving it’s relationship with council and I thank the leaders of the MCC for listening to me take up this cause. I hope you continue to engage with our group as we are relevant to the business community in Maitland.
Thanks also for allowing a passionate Maitlander to be apart of the #MyMaitland program – it was truly an honour.
So after 2 years as VP and 3 years as President it is time I step down and let a new voice leads the Maitland Business Chamber. This doesn’t mean I will be any less passionate about the movement and the town. It is just time for me to focus on my other love Hunter Recruitment Group, which is experiencing great growth.
I look forward to sitting off stage at the November meeting, handing out business cards as I get a chance to network and still being apart of a great business lobby group for the best city in the world.
Our Director, Craig McGregor was very proud to be a part of the initial roll out of the #MyMaitland campaign with a testimonial video about all the wonderful aspects of living in the Maitland area, running his own recruitment business and being with his family.
Craig’s solid connection to Maitland and love for his home town really shines through! As a resident, business owner and in his role as the Maitland Business Chamber President for 3 years running Craig has witnessed Maitland’s progress from a business and community perspective and is excited for the very bright future of this great city!
Watch the video below to hear about Craig’s #MyMaitland
There are a bunch more #MyMaitland stories from passionate locals and about their Maitland businesses and lifestyles so click here to check them out…
Love #MyMaitland? Here’s what you can do to help
Its super simple to be a part of the #MyMaitland campaign, all it takes is for people to use #MyMaitland on their social media profiles. The challenge though is for everyone to invite just one extra person a year, from outside of Maitland, to visit and stay overnight so they can show them the best things about our city.
For businesses, this is a fantastic opportunity to take advantage of the city’s growing visitor economy and celebrate the wide range of experiences that Maitland has to offer.
HERE ARE THREE THINGS YOUR BUSINESS CAN DO
Share #MyMaitland on your business social media accounts
Encourage staff to use #MyMaitland and invite their mates to Maitland
Consider advertising in the next edition of Meander, which will be distributed to every household across the city.
To read more about how you can get involved and the plans for the #MyMaitland campaign head to the website and become a part of it today!
Inspired by our 10 year anniversary I have created 10 interviews with people who have contributed to my life and business. It is fitting that the first of these released is a conversation with Daniel Borg, creative mind behind http://www.psyborg.com.au Daniel has become a partner in terms of brand creation and design for HRG and along the way we have developed a friendship.
Please sit back and if you have one handy, grab a HRG 10 year anniversary brew and enjoy the first ever 10 for 10.
After growing up in the Hunter, moving to the Central Coast to work post Uni, starting a family and returning to the Hunter to live in Maitland, 2006 saw the realisation that it was time to venture into my own business.
Hunter Industrial Recruitment was born with two business partners that owned and operated Hunter Executive Recruitment. We shared an office in Newcastle with another entrepreneur, Summa from PeopleCheck. Those early days of making cold calls and going to as many networking meetings as possible seem so long ago. Being mentored by lifelong business owners and working side by side with another go getter was the best starting point I could have asked for.
The business started to make headway and clients enjoyed the individualised service and dedication to finding fit. Clients started to seek assistance with no industrial roles and I can still remember meeting with an accountant and the quizzical look on her face “why I am meeting with an industrial recruiter”. This was the meeting where the branding change to Hunter Recruitment Group was conceived.
The initial business partners were bought out and the business moved to Maitland, selfishly so I didn’t need to commute any longer, but also to engage more with the business community in the best city in the world.
Having a business for 10 years has given me the canvas to explore how I can best assist business and candidates through the employment life cycle. We have built lifelong relationships with some of the best people in the valley.
We have formed relationships with superstars of other industries that supply us with fantastic services and products. This new website is a great example, to have met and worked as a customer of psyborg® doesn’t only get you a great website but it makes you a much more effective branding warrior.
Our little business has also collaborated with some of the regions brightest people to assist in areas of HR Consulting, Board reviews for the not for profit space and employee engagement projects.
Networking and spotting opportunity has also lead to HRG gaining a contract with one of the worlds largest Career Transition providers. This has given us the capacity to truly assist people in our region at a time of need. Supporting business by engaging with employees that have been made redundant.
Emotionally and functional supporting people through this critical time in the employment life cycle. Most importantly HRG has become a vehicle for Amy and I to support people. We change lives when someone gets a job or a new role. It helps build the local economy. Our favourite piece of recruitment has changed our lives. Sheridan Kirby has lifted the professionalism of our team and has become an extension of the brand and ethos of our company. Nothing has been more pleasing than the ability to give such a great young woman her start at working life and watching her skills blossom.
So 2016 sees HRG celebrate 10 years as an entity, but more importantly it is just the beginning of what has been and continues to be an exploration on how to be better at helping people through employment solutions.
After growing up in the Hunter, moving to the Central Coast to work post Uni, starting a family and returning to the Hunter to live in Maitland, 2006 saw the realisation that it was time to venture into my own business.
