One way is to set realistic objectives that they have to achieve by a deadline. If they haven't met them you can have a performance review with them. If they constantly are meeting them then they are not slacking. If they are missing them then you have a strong case to fire them.
It is also helpful to get their feedback on why they seem to be not interested in work. Maybe it does not interest them.
I agree with this. I think it's important to figure out why they appear to be slacking and have evidence if they are slacking.
If you replace people without knowing the reason they are slacking or appear to be, then there's a chance the next person will not perform well either. For example, people sometimes become disillusioned with a company if the managers are not following the company policies to the detriment of the employees.
It's to open up dialogue about performance in general. Your goal is to get the objectives met. If they meet some of them and then was it their lack of technical understanding not up to expectations? Was it communication that was lacking? Or does the person not like their job?
Know the answers can help to either improve their skills or simply replace them.
Work upstream: hire carefully. Do they have their ego in check? How do they act when they're right about something? How do they act when they know something? How do they act when they're wrong? Do they try to hide evidence or change the story? Do they find excuses? etc.
Midstream: alignment. Make sure everyone is on the same page and has access to information. Make sure everyone knows what the goal is, why it is a goal, how to get there, what's important, what's less important, what they have to do, that they understand what to do, etc.
Tweak according to people. With some people? Just give them room and don't bother them. They'll come to you when they have a problem and they know when they must come to you. With others, more involvement is required. Tailor your approach to each one.
Downstream: why are they slacking? Is it because they don't know how to do the job? Do they have personal circumstances/problems? Are they lacking sleep? Are they equipped to manage time? Are they not motivated to do the work? Have I talked with them about this?
One good way was to go for a walk one on one, outside of the office. Changing scenery helps. You're walking and talking, and it's amazing that you end up having a completely different conversation than the one you'd have had at the office.
Written emails work, too. When you lay out the problem without attacking the person as in [here is the problem], you get answers like "I meant to talk to you about that but I haven't found the courage. I've been struggling to manage my time and tasks", and you can work from there.
There's sort of an "index" reply here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25367011. Several replies touch on different aspects around the mechanics of getting work done, from reducing the barrier to writing good issues by having templates, to dispatching minutes of meetings so everyone has the same information, to the emails you write to make sure everyone is on the same wavelength, to onboarding documents. Sed "giving a damn" or "what if I disappear" to start.
Are you certain the slackers are the problem? And not the management?
Some people are very good self starters, they set the structure for their own work, find new challenges, and execute. Though these folks often don’t enjoy the day-in-day-out work. Other people thrive in structure, with lots of good process and stand ups where they see how they contribute regularly. They don’t work well in a vacuum.
Regardless, a team of all self starters isn’t sustainable. And you will need great people who execute well in a structure. If the structure is in place it’s obvious on a regular basis if they’re meeting expectations.
When I was in management, I came close to thinking we should let a colleague go because they weren’t a “self starter” like me. Only to have that person save our company’s bacon once they had a more structured role. They actually wanted more accountability (cause they want to feel their impact). And by giving them more structure, instead of suffocating them, it actually liberated them.
Your best bet is to look at the problem from different perspectives.
If it is only one person that is slacking off then you can give them a heads up and if not change let the person go.
If is it pervasive in the company then you should leave as it would be more difficult to solve that issue. If you can't leave and want to fix the culture this might be a good guiding principle - https://jobs.netflix.com/culture.
When I find myself slacking, I find making a To Do list helps. Although it is really a 'Try To Do' list. It helps me focus and provides a sense of accomplishment.
I think slacking is maybe not the right term, i see a lot of people who are fed up with the pointlessness of their work and they are just going trough the motions to get the paycheck.
Also why feel any loyalty towards a company goal when that company can kick you out at any time.
Are you incentivizing them properly to not slack off? Do you recognize their contributions in a tangible way? These slackers may have rationally evaluated that working hard for your company has no benefit to them. Would you prefer dumb but hard-working slaves?
It is also helpful to get their feedback on why they seem to be not interested in work. Maybe it does not interest them.