Sometimes it is necessary to consider whether underperformance is a capability or conduct issue.

Conduct issues are dealt with under the disciplinary rather than the capability procedure

Common indicators of poor conduct and lack of capability are summarised below:

Conduct - Won't	Capability - Can't
Unwillingness to act and lack of motivation	Willing but not able to do the job
Has the necessary skills but fails to use them	Lacks the necessary skills
Willful neglect of responsibilities	Tries, but fails, to bridge a competence gap
Irregular, often out of character, instances of poor performance	More consistent failure to meet expectations

In real life, situations are often more complex and it may not always be clear whether the performance issue is conduct or capability related, particularly if it is linked to productivity or output. You may want to seek guidance from your HR Adviser.