Performance Management (on demand)
Description
This self-paced e-learning course equips New Zealand business managers and team leaders with the practical skills and legal knowledge needed to manage employee performance effectively.
Across six lessons, you'll move from the fundamentals of everyday performance conversations through to formal Performance Improvement Plans, disciplinary processes, and knowing when to seek professional advice. Grounded in the Employment Relations Act 2000 and illustrated with NZ case law and local workplace scenarios, the course provides a clear, proportionate framework for addressing performance and conduct issues early, fairly, and consistently — protecting both your team and your business.
Downloadable templates are included to support you in applying what you learn.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course, you will be able to:
- Explain what performance management means in a New Zealand business context and distinguish between capability (can't) and conduct (won't) issues.
- Apply a four-level response framework to match your management approach — from informal conversations to formal processes — to the nature and seriousness of the concern.
- Identify the legal, financial, and team-culture risks of both avoiding performance management and handling it poorly.
- Distinguish between 90-day trial periods and probationary periods, and apply each correctly under NZ employment law.
- Conduct honest, effective performance appraisals using the "no surprises" rule and manage pay-review obligations in line with your employment agreements.
- Implement a formal Performance Improvement Plan with the recommended three-month review and warning structure, follow the fair process checklist before any dismissal, and recognise when to seek professional HR or legal advice.