How to Talk to an Underperforming Employee
A manager's script for the performance conversation: state the gap early, ask what's behind it, answer 'is my job at risk?' honestly, and agree a plan.
How do you tell an employee their performance isn't good enough?
Say it plainly and early: name the standard and the gap, with evidence. Acknowledge how they feel without diluting the message. Ask what is affecting their work and listen. Then agree specific goals, the support you will give, and a date to review progress together.
Most managers find this harder than giving one-off feedback because the stakes feel higher on both sides. The person may be anxious about their job, and you may be tempted to soften the message until it disappears. The aim is to be clear and kind at the same time, not to choose between them.
Harvard Business Review suggests starting with a look at yourself: were the expectations actually clear, and did the person have what they needed? Then ask about causes and agree support (HBR, 2024). This guide gives you the words for each step. Treat every script as a template and adapt it with your own facts and your company's policy.
Before the meeting
Thirty minutes of preparation decides how the first two minutes go.
The evidence
- Two or three concrete examples with dates and numbers, not impressions
- The standard for the role, in the words you used when you set it
- What has already been said: earlier 1:1 notes, coaching, emails
The expectation check
- Was the standard clear, written down and realistic for this person?
- Did they have the tools, training and time the role needs?
- Has anything changed: a new territory, a reorganisation, extra work?
The process
- Read your company policy on performance and on improvement plans
- Ask HR whether this conversation is informal or a formal stage
- Book a private room or call, with time after it for them
Your words
- Write your first two sentences and say them out loud
- Prepare an honest answer to "Is my job at risk?"
- Decide what support you can actually offer before you offer it
This page is general guidance for managers, not HR or legal advice. If the conversation could lead to a formal process, speak to HR first.
The first two minutes
If the gap is not stated plainly within your first two turns, the rest of the meeting is built on a misunderstanding.
1.“Thanks for making time. I want to talk about your sales results, because they've been below where they need to be.”
Name the topic in the first sentence. No small talk that delays it.
2.“For the last two quarters you've closed about 60% of target. The standard for the role is 100%, and the team average is close to that.”
The gap and the standard, with numbers. This is the Clarity criterion.
3.“I'm telling you this because I want to help you get back there, and I'd like to understand what's been going on.”
Purpose, without softening the fact you just stated.
4.“How do you see the last two quarters?”
Ask for their self-assessment before you diagnose anything.
The fourth line follows HBR's advice to ask for a self-assessment first (HBR, 2019). People often name the problem themselves, and a plan they helped shape is one they are more likely to own.
What do you say when they ask if their job is at risk?
Anxious people ask the same few questions. Prepare an honest answer to each, so you neither frighten them nor promise what you cannot keep.
| They ask | Avoid | You might say |
|---|---|---|
| Is my job at risk? | "No, no, your job is totally safe." (A promise you may not be able to keep.) | “I'm not here to talk about letting you go. I am here because this level can't continue, and I want us to fix it together. If it doesn't improve, there would be a more formal process, and I'd tell you clearly before that happened.” |
| Why are you only telling me this now? | "I did mention it." (Even if true, it starts an argument.) | “That's fair. I should have been clearer sooner, and I'm sorry I wasn't. I'm being clear now because I'd rather you hear it from me directly and early than late.” |
| The territory I was given is harder than the others. | "Everyone has challenges." (Dismisses something that may be real.) | “That could be part of it, and I want to look at it properly. Talk me through what's different. Even allowing for the territory, the gap is larger than I'd expect, so let's work out what's in your control.” |
| (Silence, or tears.) | Filling the silence by taking the message back. | “I know this is hard to hear. Take a moment. We don't have to solve everything right now.” |
If they dispute the facts outright, do not argue the summary. Go back to the specific examples, ask which part they see differently, and revisit any earlier coaching conversations. SHRM gives the same advice for employees who reject a review (SHRM). If you learn something that changes the picture, say so and adjust the plan.
Agreeing a plan
End with a plan that you both could check in three weeks' time.
- Goals. One to three, each measurable and time-bound: “Twelve qualified meetings booked per month by the end of next month”, not “more effort”.
- Support. What you will do: weekly pipeline reviews, shadowing a top performer, a revised territory split. Only offer what you can deliver.
- Check-ins. A fixed date for the first review, ideally within two weeks, and a rhythm after it.
- What happens next. Be honest about what follows if things do not improve, in calm, factual language.
Close by saying the plan back, then send it in writing the same day. A useful last line is: “What would make this hard to do?” It surfaces the obstacle before it becomes the next excuse. For a narrower, one-behaviour conversation, use the guide to giving constructive feedback instead.
Practising this with an AI counterpart
Your first two sentences are the part most worth rehearsing aloud. A script on paper never sounds as soft as the version you say under pressure.
The “Performance conversation” role-play casts a team member you have asked to see privately. She suspects it is about her numbers, is anxious about her job, and has things going on that affect her work. She opens with “Hi. You wanted to see me? Is this about my numbers?” and, as the conversation goes on, asks the questions in the table above: whether her job is at risk, why you are only saying this now, and whether her territory is harder. She engages once the message is clear and the support is real. You describe your own situation at the start, and you can set the pressure to friendly, standard or tough.
The report scores Clarity (30%), Empathy (25%), Exploration (20%) and Plan (25%). Not stating the gap in your first two turns, or softening it until it disappears, is marked down on clarity; promising “your job is totally safe” is flagged. Scores are practice estimates, not an assessment of your management. The role-play does not prompt you during a real meeting, and the optional camera is a mirrored self-view that is not recorded or analysed.
If you are the one who feels anxious going into the meeting, the techniques in interview anxiety help work for workplace conversations too. For a map of every conversation you can rehearse, see role-play practice for work conversations.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you start a conversation about poor performance?
- State the topic, the gap and the standard in your first two or three sentences, with numbers or examples. For example: "I want to talk about your results. For two quarters you have been at about 60% of target, and the role needs 100%." Then ask how they see it before you offer any solutions.
- What do you say when the employee asks if their job is at risk?
- Be honest and do not promise what you cannot guarantee. Say that the purpose of the meeting is to improve things, that the current level cannot continue, and that you will be clear with them if it moves to a formal process. A false reassurance now makes any later step feel like a betrayal.
- Should HR be in the meeting?
- For a first, informal conversation the manager usually meets the employee alone, which keeps it a conversation rather than a hearing. Speak to HR beforehand so you follow your policy. If the meeting is a formal stage of a performance process, your policy may require HR or allow the employee to bring someone.
- How do you document a performance conversation?
- Write a short summary the same day: the date, the gap you described, what the employee said, the goals and support you agreed, and the check-in date. Send it to the employee so you both have the same record. Keep it factual and avoid adjectives about the person.
- What if personal issues are affecting their work?
- Listen, thank them for telling you, and ask what would help. You may be able to adjust workload or timelines, or point them to an employee assistance programme or HR. You can be supportive and still be clear about the standard, and agree a realistic timeline for getting back to it.
- When should a PIP start?
- A formal performance improvement plan normally follows earlier, informal conversations where the gap was stated clearly and support was offered. It should not be the first time the person hears there is a problem. Check your company policy and local employment law with HR before starting one.