One Bad Apple: Dealing With A Difficult Team Member
Sometimes you go through the recruitment process and find a new team member that seems like a perfect fit. Only to discover that they stick out like a carrot in an omelet and rub everyone on the team up the wrong way. Of course, this is an issue that needs careful management if it is occurring in your business, luckily answering the questions below can help you with that.
Have they been adequately trained and integrated?
The first question to ask is, has the person that is being difficult been integrated, trained and onboarded correctly since their employment? Often when someone is trying you will find that the answer to this is no, and it’s causing them to act out because they feel threatened or out of their depth.
Inducting employees can help avoid difficult behaviour.
In fact, most people will do the job to the best of their ability as long as they know what it entails, and that is why training and induction is a hugely important part of the employment process. Of course, sometimes when we are dealing with illness, understaffing, and cover it can be easier just to hope they have enough savvy to either figure out what they need to do or ask someone. However, this is at best, this is a hit and miss way of doing things, and it ticking time bomb when it comes to that individual’s jobs satisfaction and the cohesiveness of the team in general.
Therefore, it is worthwhile spending some time coming up with a comprehensive job description, and as well as an introduction to the way thing are done in your company. Include specifics about the role, and if you can’t, allow them to shadow someone else completing the job, so they can see exactly what is required.
Yes, it will take them a little extra time to get going in this way, but it can be more than worth it in the long run. If you don’t want them to become problematic and rebellious, and end up wasting all that time money and effort you have spent on the recruitment process, that is.
Are their managers dealing with them effectively?
Next, a key question to ask when a single member of staff is acting up is whether their managers and supervisors are dealing with them effectively. OK, so this can be a tough one to gauge, especially if you are not in the same office with them at all times. Although, it’s likely that you have a good idea of your managers MO already, and you can ask for 360 feedback from other team members to help as well.
Of course, it’s vital that as a manger the person in charge of the employee that is being difficult has attempted to deal with the problem in a way that the individual understands and can engage with. Sadly, sometimes those in higher position have got there through longevity rather than on the merit of their people skills and can inadvertently make things a lot more difficult for those under them.
The good news, however, is that management skills can be learned just like any other ability. In fact, there are a wide range of courses available such as emotional intelligence training, conflict resolution, and coaching programmes that will allow your managers to better interact with employees. Something that can not only help to nip problems with workers in the bud, but also improve the whole team’s performance and motivation as well.
Have they got a point?
On occasion, employees will be difficult because they have an issue that is not being addressed, so before you start to take them through the behaviour policy listed below, it can be useful to have a meeting and get to the bottom of their issue.
In fact, this activity can sometimes be useful in not only solving this particular problem but also improving things in general. The reason being that if they there is favouritism, slacking, or a manager is ignoring a better way of doing things then this could be harming your business.
Therefore, before you crack out the big guns, first check to see whether your bad apple, is actually a good one in disguise.
Have you got a definite, step by step policy to take them through?
Tragically, some folks can be inducted right, and have an empathic and fair manager but still be unreasonably tricky and affect the productivity of the whole team.
Of course, when this happens, it is vital that you have a pre-established process that you use to escalate the situation.
The process itself is vital as it demonstrates to the employee that their behaviour is not acceptable and cannot be tolerated in the workplace. However, it also shows that they are given a fair chance to change their behaviour and tow the line. Moreover, such a process can act as an excellent marker for other employees regarding what is and what is not acceptable.
The documentation part of the process is crucial because it covers your company when it comes to any legal action that the employee may take, especially if the process ultimately ends in dismissal.
When is it time to say goodbye?
Talking of dismissal, it isn’t always easy to know when to let a disruptive employee go. Some companies hold on to bad apples too long, which can result in performance and motivation problems in those that work around them.
Other employers escalate through the stages too quickly. Something that often belies a less than objective view of the employee in question, and a desire to be rid of them as soon as possible.
Of course, the answer to the question here is that it time to say goodbye when you have given them fair warning, and an opportunity to change. Yes, this can be difficult for others around them, but it vital to both the integrity of your business and concerning protecting yourself from legal claims to do so. Even if personally, you can’t wait to see the back of them!
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