Using the Performance Diagnostic Checklist–Human Services to identify an indicated intervention to decrease employee tardiness

The team used a short checklist called PDC-HS to find why staff were late at an autism school.

They asked four questions: Do staff know the rule? Can they do the job? Are they rewarded? Is the workplace set up right?

The checklist pointed to a four-part fix: clear rules, a quick problem-solving chat, a small token reward, and a weekly graph showing who was on time.

After the package started, staff tardiness dropped fast and stayed low for the whole study.

The graph showed fewer late arrivals every week compared to baseline.

Slane et al. (2021) looked at 20 studies and found that brief training like task clarification plus feedback almost always works for staff.

Hranchuk et al. (2021) used the same short training style to help new teaching aides run trials faster and better.

Phillabaum et. (2023) showed that just posting a graph of peer cleaning scores lifted low performers, proving that feedback alone can work, but tokens may add extra punch.

DeFriedman (2021) moved the same feedback-plus-instruction model online and still got a 97 % drop in car-seat misuse, showing the package travels well across settings.

If staff are late, you can run the 10-minute PDC-HS checklist, pick the same four-step package, and likely see quick change. No big budget or extra staff needed.