Managing Problem Employees
One of a manager's toughest jobs is dealing with problem employees. No matter what the problem - tardiness, sloppiness, poor performance - the best course of action is always immediate. Allowing the problem to continue or escalate is counterproductive for the employee, for you and for the rest of your staff.
The first step in dealing with a problem employee is to identify the trouble. One of your employees may be consistently late or spend more time socializing with coworkers than doing their job. They may be difficult to manage or lack the proper skills to do their job. The problem may be incompatibility with other employees or their supervisor. Or they may break company rules or deliberately defy company policies.
Many times, a simple, honest talk with an employee will dissolve issues such as occasional tardiness or minor attitude problems. But chronic behavior or performance problems usually require more than conversation.
There are two courses of action you can take with a problem employee. The most obvious is disciplinary, which may consist of issuing the employee a written warning or reassigning them to other duties or to another department. This action is most appropriate for serious infractions, such as ongoing problems and issues where company policies or rules have been broken or ignored.
The second choice is coaching or mentoring. This is usually the best choice for first-time offenses or work-performance problems with entry-level or nonprofessional employees. Coaching requires a manager to work one-on-one with problem employees or to assign another employee to work with the employee to overcome their shortcomings. The mentor should provide the employee with feedback and solutions for improving their performance. Coaching requires patience and a substantial time investment, but it can help modify an employee's behavior.
Successfully managing problem employees requires you to quickly identify and get to the root of the problem. Consider the following common problems with employees and the suggestions for dealing with them.
1. Poor performance.
Poor performance is not always due to a lack of skills; the employee may simply be disorganized or sloppy. These habits can usually be corrected with proper guidance. If performance difficulties relate to a lack of skills, consider coaching or additional training.
2. Job incompatibility.
In some cases an employee becomes a problem because their skills aren't compatible with their assigned tasks or regular duties. In this case, offering the employee additional training or assigning them a different set of tasks is usually the most appropriate course of action.
3. Sloppy work.
Errors and sloppiness aren't always easy to detect. When you notice that an employee has made some errors, point out the mistakes to the employee and monitor their work more closely. If the problem persists, speak with the employee and detail the most serious examples of problems with their work. Remember to remain positive and focus on how important the employee's contribution is to the company. You don't want to berate the employee; you want to provide them with constructive criticism.
4. Disruptive behavior.
Try to get the employee on your side. Take the employee out for lunch or a cup of coffee in a casual setting and give them the opportunity to express their feelings and concerns about what's troubling them. It may be a personal problem or a simple case of feeling unappreciated.
If the problem is more serious, conduct a closed-door meeting with the employee and show them documented examples of their problem behavior. Discuss the possible consequences they face - change in responsibilities, demotion or termination - if their behavior does not change.
When managing a problem employee, it's critical that you document the problems and record all discussions and actions you've taken. Employees often consider written warnings more seriously than verbal reprimands. Creating a paper trail that documents problems and history is important, especially if you decide to terminate the employee.
[Source: AllBusiness.com]
