7 essentials for employee disciplinary interview

A disciplinary interview is crucial part for an organization to maintain discipline and decorum within the organization. But, if not carefully executed it may result in unwanted results like lower morale amongst employee. Hence, few essentials to remember for proper and effective execution of disciplinary interview are

1. Try to determine what things are going wrong

A discipline problem is usually an outward sing of an underlying issue. To successfully resolve the symptoms, you need to find the cause- whether it’s a lack of training, boredom, personal problems, trouble with colleagues, a fear of change, an outdated rule or something else.

2. Use open-ended questions

Some people are reluctant to open up, especially when it comes to personal matters. You can help draw people out by asking questions that begin with “what”, “when”, “where”, “how”, or “who” Avoid questions that begin with “why”. Such questions tend to put people on the defensive and make tempers flare.

3. Decide what action will be taken

If appropriate, have the employee suggest ways in which the problem could be resolved. Decide on a solution and a date by which the improvement must be made. Always inform the employee of what will happen if the improvement is not made and how long the disciplinary record will be kept.

4. Be fair

Whenever disciplinary action is necessary, consider:

Your organization’s policy
The seriousness of the problem
The circumstances
The employee’s record
How you’ve handled similar situations in the past.

5. Keep a record of your meeting

Having a written record is extremely important in justifying your actions to your manager and in case an appeal is lodged. Provide the employee with a copy of any written warning and records of your meeting. Ask the employee to review all documents as soon as possible and to point out anything he or she thinks is inaccurate.

6. Discuss what will go in the employee’s personnel file.

Let the employee know what will go into his or her file and the conditions under which may be deleted from a person’s file Follow your organisation’s policy

7. Always follow up on disciplinary interviews.

If the employee has not made the necessary improvements, be ready to take the next step in the disciplinary process. If he or she has made the improvements, be sure to offer praise and encouragement.