Managers need more help from their employers when motivating poor performing members of staff.

This is according to the new Global Strategic Rewards study by Watson Wyatt. It found that top performers are far more likely than poor performers to say their line manager is good at communicating organisational and performance management issues.

Two thirds of underperformers said that their immediate manager does not adequately establish goals that are linked to business objectives, or provide satisfactory feedback on performance.

"Managers find it easy to manage top-performing employees but are not so adept when it comes to improving poorer performers," said Carole Hathaway, a senior consultant at Watson Wyatt. "Some of the greatest opportunities for improved organisational performance lie in helping managers raise the bar for moderate and poorer performers, but it appears that few employers are doing this."

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