Are You Dealing With A Difficult Employee?

A comprehensive guide for managers

One of the toughest challenges managers in leadership positions struggle with is handling difficult employees. It’s frustrating when an employee’s troublesome behavior and negative attitude start to influence others, dragging down their productivity too.

The ripple effect can cause trouble for your entire business, creating an unhealthy atmosphere that hampers customer satisfaction and puts your goals at risk. Dealing with difficult employees is no walk in the park, but it’s crucial to tackle the issue head-on and as soon as possible to keep the damage to a minimum.
 

Below are some steps employers can take to handle a difficult employee:

• Pinpointing the problem: Take the time to identify the exact behavior or performance issue that’s causing the difficulty. Is it a matter of attitude, work quality, or perhaps something else altogether? By clearly defining the problem at hand, employers will be better equipped to find a suitable solution.


• Open up the lines of communication: Set up one-on-one meetings with the employee to have an open discussion about the concerns. It’s important to document the discussion, noting down the date, time, and all the important details of the conversation.


• Listen: Give the employee an opportunity to express their perspective and any challenges they may be facing. Listen actively and empathetically, encouraging open communication.


• Provide feedback and expectations: Clearly articulate your expectations for behavior, performance, and improvement. Offer constructive feedback, focusing on specific actions and suggesting ways to rectify the situation.


• Offer support and resources: Determine if the employee requires any additional support, such as training, mentoring, or counseling. Provide access to resources that can help them overcome challenges and improve their skills.


• Monitor and follow-up: Regularly check in with the employee to monitor their progress. Provide ongoing feedback and support as needed. If the issues persist or worsen, consider implementing a performance improvement plan (PIP) with specific targets and consequences if improvement is not achieved.


• Escalate if necessary: If the employee's behavior or performance does not improve despite great efforts, and it's negatively impacting the workplace, you may need to involve higher management, or human resources, or consult with legal counsel, depending on the severity of the situation.

It’s important to document incidents. Keep detailed records of any further incidents or performance-related concerns. This documentation can be useful if you need to escalate the issue or take disciplinary action in the future.

Author Bio

Kiljon Shukullari, HR Advice Manager at Peninsula Canada.