Dealing with under-performing employees is a complete waste of time.

A recent survey of 1,400 chief financial officers by the staffing firm Robert Half International revealed that managers in their companies spend an average of 17% of their time dealing with under-performing employees.

But according to Paul McDonald, Senior Executive Director at Robert Half, you can prevent this from happening in your own company.

Schedule a one-on-one meeting with the employee. Don’t discuss his or her performance over the phone and don’t criticize the employee publicly or privately for that matter. The problem can’t be resolved until you meet with the person face-to-face according to McDonald.

Spend time preparing for the meeting and have all the facts lined up. It’s also important not to sugar-coat the problem. Instead, be direct, upfront, and honest. It’s also important to listen to the employee once you’ve laid out the problem. Find out what’s causing the problem.

For more strategies in dealing with an employee, click here.