People Puzzlers: What would you do in this workplace situation?

Who doesn’t love a good puzzle?! I’m really glad you liked the idea, and I hope the monthly People Puzzle posts will be stimulating for the community!

Now, for the scenario, I’m sure it’s one that many HR professionals recognise and have encountered before. My immediate thoughts are:

• Why did the manager wait three months to tell me?! - Early involvement is early prevention. It becomes harder and more time consuming to resolve issues (performance or other) the longer you wait.
• What to they mean by “underperforming”? - Is it capability or conduct? Is it evidence based and recorded, e.g., the manager taken weekly notes of missed targets or unacceptable behaviour?
• Why are they considered a “lost cause” all of a sudden? - The employee has delivered for the last 10 years, and manager’s reluctance to support makes me suspicious. Perhaps it’s not the employee that’s underperforming, but something has happened between the manager and the employee leading to the manager rather getting rid of them. Perhaps the employee fears retaliation and doesn’t feel safe raising their concerns when it’s the manager that’s the problem.

I always start with finding out more information, both from the manager and the employee, to ensure I have a complete picture to what has happened. Jumping to conclusions can cause all kinds of issues (unfair dismissal, potential discrimination, demoralised team), and depending on where the investigation takes me, I’ll know what I’d recommend (performance improvement plan, reasonable adjustments, reallocation, etc.).

I completely agree with all the points @nina.johansson  mentioned. They've captured the key red flags and investigative approach perfectly.
Here are some additional considerations I'd like to add:

Beyond the manager-employee dynamic, I'd explore whether there are underlying health issues, family circumstances, or life changes affecting performance. A 10-year high performer doesn't suddenly become incompetent without cause. This could involve discussing potential reasonable adjustments, referrals to employee assistance programs, or temporary accommodations.

I'd also want to see detailed performance records, not just the manager's subjective assessment. Has the decline been properly documented with specific examples, dates, and measurable impacts? Without proper documentation, any disciplinary action becomes legally risky, especially for a long-term employee.

Has the role changed significantly? Are there new systems, processes, or team dynamics affecting performance? Sometimes "underperformance" is actually a mismatch between evolved job requirements and existing skills, which training could address.

The manager's immediate jump to termination for a loyal, decade-long employee raises serious questions about their leadership skills and potential bias. I'd want to understand their management style, recent interactions with this employee, and whether they've made genuine efforts to support improvement.

How are other team members perceiving this situation? A hasty firing of a respected long-term employee could devastate morale and create retention issues across the team.

The manager's "waste of time and money" comment ignores the significant cost of recruiting, hiring, and training a replacement, plus the institutional knowledge loss. A performance improvement plan is almost always more cost-effective than termination and rehiring.

Again, agreeing with Nina here. The approach should be thorough investigation first, never immediate termination.

After having spoken with you on more than a few occasions, your approach is no surprise! Also, it make a ton of sense. Your questions make me think that asking these earlier may even be the difference between having a problem at all or finding a solution quickly enough to prevent any further issues.

So, your first point, I’ve heard this from a few HR pros before. It’s been remarkable to me to hear how often issues or concerns get brought to HR’s attention at what feels like the last minute! Insane stuff! 

Two things stand out to me in particular here. There’s a real sense of empathy coming from your question about what has changed at work? Rather than analysing the employee’s performance as a direct indicator of everything you need to know, you’re taking a holistic approach - awesome!

Second, a great point on the cost of recruiting. Out of curiosity, I asked a colleagues of mine on our Talent team about what the costs can be to recruit new people. I was floored! 😱

​@Moe those numbers floor me every time. They’re so hidden but have such a huge impact, it’s crazy!

An employee has been underperforming for the entirety of a quarter now. This person has been working at your company for 10 years and has earned a reputation for being a very hard worker. They’re also known for meeting their targets and asking for help when they are facing a blocker. 

However, this person is now severely underperforming and their manager doesn’t know what to do to remedy this. In fact, the manager thinks the employee should be fired because they’re a “lost cause” and that trying to improve the employee’s performance would be “a waste of time and money.”

As an HR professional, how would you deal with this? Where would you even begin and what sorts of questions would you ask?

My assessment of the situation:  This person has been consistently performing and showing positive and healthy behaviours. This is definitely NOT a “lost cause”. Also - is 3 months enough to really consider someone a lost cause?

I believe that usually when a high performer’s behaviours and performance change something happened, either at work or in their personal life. I would encourage the manager to firstly find out what happened - and the level of depth they’ll be able to go will depend on the level of safety and trust between manager and employee. I’d actually be concerned that if the manager’s first reaction is to fire the employee they lack any emotional skills and understanding of behavioural patterns.

What should happen? 
The manager should have an honest conversation with the employee - heart to heart. 

• “What’s happening with you? I observed you’ve been a bit off lately...”
• “What is causing this? How is it affecting your work?”
• “Is there something you’re already doing about it? How is that going?”
• “What type of support do you need?”
  
  Of course things will vary from case to case. I believe that once this conversation happens, it happens the door for the manager to start setting some expectations and see together how to work through that. Two things can coexist at the same time - being understanding and supportive while honest about the expectations.
  
  
  This is what I’d recommend UNLESS the problem is the manager. Sometimes an employee simply starts disengaging if the manager’s is consistently behaving in a negative way.

My assessment of the situation:  This person has been consistently performing and showing positive and healthy behaviours. This is definitely NOT a “lost cause”. Also - is 3 months enough to really consider someone a lost cause?

I believe that usually when a high performer’s behaviours and performance change something happened, either at work or in their personal life. I would encourage the manager to firstly find out what happened - and the level of depth they’ll be able to go will depend on the level of safety and trust between manager and employee. I’d actually be concerned that if the manager’s first reaction is to fire the employee they lack any emotional skills and understanding of behavioural patterns.

What should happen? 
The manager should have an honest conversation with the employee - heart to heart. 

• “What’s happening with you? I observed you’ve been a bit off lately...”
• “What is causing this? How is it affecting your work?”
• “Is there something you’re already doing about it? How is that going?”
• “What type of support do you need?”
  
  Of course things will vary from case to case. I believe that once this conversation happens, it happens the door for the manager to start setting some expectations and see together how to work through that. Two things can coexist at the same time - being understanding and supportive while honest about the expectations. Then if this still persists, I recommend having a Performance Improvement Plan in place. 
  
  This is what I’d recommend UNLESS the problem is the manager. Sometimes an employee simply starts disengaging if the manager’s is consistently behaving in a negative way.

​@Moe It really is! Problems are more likely to occur if you wait too long with giving feedback or addressing the issue - behaviours rarely change unless there’s an action, motivation or consequence that prompts the change. You can throw as many pennies as you’d like in the “improvement wishing well”, but real change requires real action, developing a strategy and implementing it. 

Sure is, not being involved early is hella frustrating. People professionals are a fountain of knowledge and often great advisors. I wish that managers would realise that more often and see us as a resource to tap into and learn from rather than using HR as the “last resort”.

Looking forward to hearing from other members of the community, including:

​@HRJoy ​@rstambolieva ​@Edda van der Ende ​@HannahPorteous-Butler ​@xtine08 ​@HRHappiness ​@Salewa ​@Hellohere ​@FionaWHIS 

Not an awful lot to add to the excellent responses already posted above :) 

I agree that managers tend to leave it for too long before seeking advice from HR - probably because of the general perception that once something gets to HR it’s an irreconcilable issue that is destined to end badly! Something of a self-fulfilling prophesy if everything is left too fester for too long…

My first question is always (almost regardless of the particular scenario), ‘Have you spoken to them about it?’. Invariably, the answer is ‘no...’. So my follow-up question would be ‘how to you know that X is a lost cause?’ 

Communication is always the key. Start with a conversation as go from there. I would always provide support for managers about what that conversation should look like, and what they can and can’t ask. 

If the manager is the problem, who is their manager?

Very well said! Your point about considering personal circumstances points to something I’ve noticed from countless People pros: an emphasis on empathy. I can’t tell you how many times an answer to some question of mine about the profession included focusing on empathy before ever doing anything tactical.

Also, a few people have noted that the manager is potentially the problem here themselves. 

To add some further context, this scenario is actually based on something that happened in real life to a dear friend of mine at one of their employers years ago. Importantly, all turned out well, but I’ve been given permission to share this scenario plus add this follow up:

If the manager is indeed the problem - meaning that they’re showing themselves to be impatient and lacking in empathy in this situation...how would you proceed as a member of the HR function at this company? 

​@SabbuSchreiber ​@nina.johansson ​@HRJoy 

When a long-tenured, previously high-performing employee starts to struggle, the default response should not be to give up on them, especially not from their manager. If the manager is showing impatience or a lack of empathy, I would want to assess whether their approach is contributing to the problem.

Sometimes, a manager simply needs a reminder of their duty of care. Their role is not only about driving results but also about helping people succeed.

I would also ask whether this is an isolated lapse in empathy or part of a broader pattern of poor people management.

If the manager is feeling overwhelmed, I would focus on providing support and making it clear what effective leadership looks like in this situation. It could be helpful to connect them with another manager who has handled something similar and can offer guidance and coaching.

At the same time, I would make time to speak directly with the employee. This is not about undermining the manager but about creating a safe space where the employee can share any concerns, especially if the manager’s behavior is adding to the stress.

More broadly, I see this as a test of the company’s values and culture. If we allow a manager to push out a loyal, long-serving employee without proper support or process, we risk sending the message that tenure and compassion do not matter, and that only results do.

I agree with ​@SabbuSchreiber’s approach and there’s nothing much else to add! Unless the company values are “results above all”, managers need to uphold the company values, standards and expectations and understand their impact as a leader on their team and the wider organisation. 

As a member of the HR team, I would take the same approach as always - investigate, establish, record and propose a solution and accompanying actions depending on the findings. 

Are other member of the team experiencing the same issues with the manager, or is it just this one team member that’s “underperforming”? Is the manager having issues at home which impacts their behaviour at work? Are they going through menopause and need support and reasonable adjustments themselves? There can be many reasons, most of which require different solutions.

Throughout when there’s conflict, it’s easy to get caught up in emotions and the “he said, she said” but it’s important to remain objective and focus on the underlying cause without passing judgement or assigning blame. Remember that the past helps us understand the cause but the focus should be on the solution and next steps - a collaborative effort between the manager, the employee and HR on how to work better together and to establish “where do we go from here?”. 

Your point about values and culture is a strong one. This is the sort of broad strategic, forward-looking thinking that I’m such a fan of when it comes to talking to HR pros. In the short while I’ve been meeting other People professionals, I’ve learned a ton about how hard it is to maintain that sort of perspective - keeping a focus on the sort of message a decision sends in the future - while dealing with so much in the here and now. However, like you said, keeping calues and culture in mind is still crucial!

One of my favourite things about your approach (and about you as a person, frankly) is your ability to be both systematic and empathetic. I don’t know if it’s a given that HR pros are just built like this, but I can tell you that this isn’t a default setting for many people in other industries!