Employees don't perform in a vacuum. There are a variety of factors, personal, company-based and external that affect their performance. Identifying these factors can help improve recruitment, retention and organizational results.
Employees must be qualified to perform a job in order to meet expectations. The best fit for a job is identified by skills, knowledge and attitude towards the work. If an employee is in the wrong job for any of these reasons, results will suffer.
Employees can bring skills to a position but there are likely to be internal, company- or industry-specific activities that will require additional training. If a process requires a new software package it's unrealistic to expect employees to just figure it out; they should receive adequate training.
When everyone understands the targets and expected outcomes, it is easier to take steps to get there and measure performance along the way. Organizations without clear goals are more likely to spend time on tasks that do not impact results.
Just as a driver needs a vehicle in operating condition, employees must have the tools and equipment necessary for their specific jobs. This includes physical tools, supplies, software and information. Outdated equipment, or none at all, has a detrimental affect on the bottom line.
Morale and company culture are both difficult to define but employees will be able to report when they are poor or positive. Poor morale exists when there is significant whining, complaining and people just don't want to come to work. On the positive end, the workplace is energized by a sense of purpose and teams that genuinely want to work together.
