4 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Employees

Whether it’s a family-run establishment or a large organization, your business is inevitably going to be faced with a certain problem: a difficult employee.

This could be for a number of reasons. The employee might be difficult to work with in general, or they struggle to get on with their co-workers, or they don’t perform well, or they may mean well but can never quite grasp the task at hand.

You get the picture.

Yet, for one reason or another, you do not have the heart to pull the trigger and let them go. This is despite the fact you will have spent a disproportionate length of time trying to get them to fit into your business, time that could have been spent on other staff members.

Thankfully, you can take action now and turn that difficult employee into one that will be a valuable part of your company. Here are four tips:

Observe their performance

To begin with, you should take the time to observe their performance over a certain period of time. What are they doing wrong? Is it strictly behavioral issues? Do they have trouble completing their tasks on time? Is their work not up to standard?

To help with tracking these aspects, it’s wise to invest in performance management software. This software allows you to fully review and assess their conduct, giving you the chance to identify the problem with the difficult employee.

There’s only one issue: with so many options, which performance management software is the best choice? If you’re not sure where to start, software gurus Better Buys supply a comprehensive performance management software buyer’s guide.

Supply direct feedback

Once you have outlined your concerns about an employee, let them know about it. There’s no point in retaining the information and hoping the issues will disappear on their own. You need to be direct and provide a difficult worker with feedback.

It might be uncomfortable to list their negative points to them, but you need to let an employee know what they should be doing differently. Not only will they know there’s a necessity to improve, but they will also be aware that you’re keeping a close eye on their performance.

Offer support

When assessing their performance levels, it is vital that you ponder what routes you can take in terms of support. In certain circumstances, it might only take a relevant training course to turn the situation around.

To provide suitable backing, listen intently to what they say when responding to feedback. They may have legitimate issues, ones that can be addressed and corrected with the right support.

Let them go

Sadly, if you have exhausted all other options and nothing is working, there’s only one decision left to make: showing them the door. It’s a difficult call to make, particularly if you’ve been trying so hard to get them on the same wavelength with your business, but sometimes you’re forced into going this route.

Just remember, firing a troublesome employee will help with the overall performance of your business.