Underperformance is a situation in which an employee consistently fails to meet the expectations of their role — whether in the quality of their work, the volume of tasks completed, deadlines, or the attitudes and behaviors expected within the team. The key word is "consistently": a single weaker period is not underperformance, but a sustained gap between expectations and actual results is.

The causes vary: unclear goals, missing tools or training, poor communication with the manager, and sometimes personal factors or a drop in motivation. For this reason, the first step should not be disciplinary action but a conversation that uncovers what is really driving the weaker results.

Well-managed underperformance starts with clear, measurable expectations and regular feedback. When the problem persists, companies turn to structured tools such as a performance improvement plan (PIP). Running goals, reviews, and feedback in Calamari's Performance module helps spot shortfalls early and respond to them based on data rather than impressions.