Recruitment & Staffing

Tips on handling difficult employees

Q: What is the best approach to take when dealing with an employee who is a fairly good performer but has a very poor attitude?

A: At one time or another, most employers will find themselves in a position of having to deal with problem employee behaviors or attitudes.

The term “difficult employee” is typically used to refer to those individuals with undesirable personality traits or those who conduct themselves in a manner that is disrespectful and unprofessional to managers, co-workers or customers. These employees are often able to perform the basic functions of their jobs but with such negativity, animosity, or poor attitude or behavior that they have a detrimental effect on their co-workers. Dealing with these employees can be among the greatest challenges an employer faces.

When problematic employee attitudes arise within a workplace, it becomes imperative that employers take swift and decisive action in dealing with any inappropriate or disagreeable behavior. Remember the old adage, “negativity breeds negativity,” or, better yet, “it only takes one rotten apple to ruin the bunch”? Negative or difficult employee behaviors and attitudes not adequately addressed can have a negative impact on other employees and develop into a more widespread company morale issue. Although an employer may not have control over a difficult employee's disagreeable personality traits or behavior, he or she does have control over some particular attitudes and the reactions toward difficult employees in the workplace.

A few examples of difficult employee behaviors are:

• Abusive/vulgar language or conduct toward co-workers, managers or customers, belligerence, aggression.
• Tardiness/excessive absenteeism.
• Disagreeable personal traits.
• Rude, disrespectful or extremely abrasive behavior toward co-workers, managers or customers.
• Poor or unprofessional quality of work.
• Substance abuse.
• Persistent negativity.
• Poor attitude, constant complaining, excessive gossiping, jealousy/envy of others, disruption, insubordination.

Negative personality traits or characteristics can be unique to each person, so it goes without saying that difficult employee behaviors come in a variety of shapes and sizes. It is therefore difficult to generalize as to what approach will work best.

Below is a short checklist of steps that management consulting experts and professionals can use when confronting difficult employee issues in the workplace:

• Identify the problem, and document specific examples of the problem the employee is having.
• Initiate a meeting with the employee to discuss the problem behaviors. Keep your discussion nonconfrontational and focused strictly on the documented performance problems. Provide the employee with specific examples during the discussion.
• Solicit feedback from the employee regarding how he/she thinks the problem can be resolved. Provide the employee with clear and concise information regarding your expectations, specific goals, strategy for meeting those goals, time frames and consequences of failing to meet those goals.
• Conduct a follow-up meeting with the employee if he/she fails to meet the goals or expectations set forth during your initial meeting. If behavior or performance does not improve, follow your own company's disciplinary/termination policy for handling poor performance issues.

Dealing with a difficult employee requires a great measure of grace and a firm grip on your own patience and temperament. Some difficult employees may simply be unwilling or unable to change their disruptive behaviors or attitudes despite management's best efforts. When this occurs, termination of employment may become necessary, and it becomes of even greater importance to have good written documentation in place.

Article by Naomi Cossack, SPHR, is the manager of online content in SHRM's Information Center from http://www.shrm.org/kc/solutions/articles/archives/CMS_018973.asp#P-8_0