How to Manage a Bad Employee

Introduction

An organization’s ability to manage its employees plays a critical role in how well it is able to achieve its goals and objectives. In Hoffmann’s definition, “it is the process through which organizations attract, select, train, assess, reward and terminate employees, while also overseeing organizational leadership and culture and ensuring compliance with employment and labor laws” (10). In any business, policies and strategies put in place to support human resource management play a significant role in deciding whether a business’ expectations are met.

As the labor markets get more and more competitive, and the need for talent becomes more obvious for optimum performance, human resource managers are facing major challenges as they try to get the best in the market, retain them and ensure they have consistent performance. When employees develop unpleasant behaviors, retaining them becomes a hard task for employees, and building a team that delivers is almost impossible. Dealing with bad employees starts with defining who fits in that category and putting in place measures that can rectify the problem and help them become better, or letting them go when that is the only viable option.

Bad Employees

The definition of bad employees can differ from one company to another. According to Terrance “sometimes an employee can find that the job position he or she holds is not suitable for them; they may not have the skills needed for the role or they might not be passionate about the work required from them” (10). The results can be an employee who lacks motivation or one that is difficult to work with. Lack of interest in a position can manifest through employee absenteeism, underperformance, and unwillingness to invest any extra time at work. Besides this group of employees, there is another group of employees who generally lack the quality and traits that would qualify them as good employees.

A bad employee lacks the ability to make decisions and consequently, lacks leadership skills. Such an employee waits on fellow team members of the boss to made decisions even on small matters. This makes it difficult for a manager to trust such a person to get things done on their own. They also cost a manager a lot of time spent on full-time supervision and instruction sessions. Bad employees also lack the ability to adjust and blend with other members of their teams. They trigger conflict within their departments, and they generally lack a desirable personality.

Another characteristic of bad employees is the lack of initiative to perform their duties by themselves. These types of employees depend on others to instruct them what to do. They are not self-motivating and feed on their team members’ initiatives and ideas. They also lack the interest to learn new things or grasp simple work principles and ideas. Such employees cost an organization a lot in terms of time and do not add any value in the form of ideas.

Bad employees also use the company’s time and resources to accomplish their personal business. They use an organization’s internet to interact with friends online, carry books and magazines to read at work, and use the company’s resources such as printers and photocopiers to do personal work. In addition, they involve other employees in their personal business, mind other employees’ personal affairs, and entertain cheap gossip and rumors that could cause conflict.

People who lack professionalism in the way they deal with customers, superiors, and fellow employees can also be termed as bad employees. Such people lack respect and disclose confidential information about clients, products and an organizations’ management. They also hardly cooperate well when working in a team, and constantly criticize instead of embracing new ideas. Such employees also do not care how their behavior affects other people in the workplace. Their negative energy can be contagious and they are more likely to incite other employees into similar behavior.

Another category of bad employees are those who do not meet deadlines, don’t take instructions and always have excuses as to why things are not done right. These types of employees can put their superiors in trouble because they do not accomplish tasks as expected or as planned. They are choosy to the type of assignments given to them and either refuse or find it difficult to adjust to changes.

How to Manage Bad Employees

The task of managing employees is not as daunting as it may sound, as long as an organization fully equips itself with the strategies, skills, and knowledge to bring out the best of its employees. Despite the fact that many organizations understand the benefits of strategic human resource management, implementing them to get the best results is not an easy task, especially when a company has to deal with employees from diverse cultures and social backgrounds.

Difficult employees are difficult to handle because they affect a business’s performance. They can also become major irritants if a manager or supervisor does not deal with their bad behaviors on time. The most important thing for a manager or supervisor is to handle the problem, and not to ignore it. The first step towards taking action is to research the problem. It becomes easier to handle a problem when one is armed with accurate facts, data, and examples. Understanding the source of an employees’ bad behavior, for example, can help a manager eradicate it, which can solve the problem. For example, if an employee is irritable and hard to get along with because of working long continuous hours, rearranging the shifts to allow in-between resting periods can help create time for emotional refreshment. Several strategies can be implemented to manage bad employees.

Intervention

As negative behavior becomes more evident, ignoring it could escalate the problem and worsen the situation. Bad employees may not be aware that their behavior is a problem for those they work with until they are informed. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of a supervisor or manager to rectify the problem whether it is lack of sufficient knowledge, motivation or discipline. Once an employee begins to understand their faults, the manager or the human resource department must begin to coach the difficult employee to more acceptable behaviors. This allows difficult employees get back on track, and it saves company money to recruit others. Intervention also includes dialoguing with all other affected parties. For example, understanding that one of their own is going through a difficult period will enable other employees to be more supportive and accommodative of an absentee or late colleague, and contribute towards the employee’s recovery from a negative performance at work.

Employee Satisfaction

Well-satisfied employees are more motivated and as a result, they perform their tasks better and give better results. According to Iverson and Christopher “the success of any business is dependent on a motivated, highly performing and loyal workforce” (Iverson and Zatzick 29). Loyal employees are more dedicated, will defend the company and stand with it in troubled times, and will always pursue excellence. Employees' loyalty is taken lightly by many companies, without realizing that lack of it could cost them a lot of money. To be successful, businesses must focus on gaining their employees' trust and loyalty. Lifetime loyalty, though rare amongst employees, is the biggest asset any business can have and can help bad employees develop an attitude that values their employers and wants to serve them effectively.

If employment conditions are poor, employees' loyalty level is low and so is their satisfaction. To understand loyalty among employees, important areas to address include training programs and development, respecting employees’ needs, creating working favorable conditions, communication channels, rewards and recognition, and what role these factors play in achieving the same. Promotions and career development, process improvement, corporate cultures, compensations and benefits, and job enrichment also play a major role in ensuring that employees’ satisfaction. It is the responsibility of a manager to get feedback from employees on where they feel dissatisfied and give it back to the management with the aim of making improvements. Such initiatives make employees feel appreciated, and they are bound to invest more of their energy into a company in a positive manner.

Employee Motivation

Motivation calls for the use of incentives to achieve higher output and productivity. The biggest factor to consider in motivation is satisfaction. According to the motivation theory “a motivated work force will generate much more than a demotivated workforce” (Hoffmann 60). The results are higher output and more satisfying quality. Employees can be motivated using different types of incentives. The most common forms of incentives today are financial. They include pension, bonuses and pay increment for a certain level of achievement. However, a manager should take advantage of non-monetary rewards such as recognition and promotion to keep employees motivated.

Motivation is also deemed a very critical factor in producing high-quality work and minimizing wastage. Motivated staff will tend to be more pro-active and will be keener to see things happen. They will give their best to their organization, which helps a business improve its profitability and as a result, better performances. Motivated employees are also bound to be more open about their problems and concerns, which can help a company help a would-be bad employee.

Different motivation theories and why it is important for employees’ performance exist. According to Herzberg’s theory “satisfaction and dissatisfaction arise from different factors at work and they are not opposing reactions to the same factor” (Hoffmann 67). Those factors motivating people are not the same that dissatisfy them. Satisfaction comes from factors that are involved in accomplishing a task. Dissatisfaction, on the other hand, comes from factors in the job context. Abraham Maslow’s theory, on the other hand, argues that the most important human need is physiological needs, followed by security and safety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs in that order (Hoffmann 67). He acknowledges that no need can ever be fully satisfied but if an organization wants to motivate its employees, it is important for them to understand their level of need in the hierarchical order.

Discipline

Discipline measures in an organization should be aimed at correcting deviations rather than embarrassing employees. The University of British Columbia defines discipline as “the means by which supervisory personnel correct behavioral deficiencies and ensure adherence to established company rules” (1). In today's employment environments, using positive approaches to correct problems is a more effective strategy than instilling heavy measures of discipline. Tough discipline measures such as termination should only be applied where an employee has been constantly neglecting the company's policies or commits indiscipline acts intentionally.

Discipline in any business must serve both the employee and the employer fairly. While an employee is expected to adhere to a business' rules and regulations, an employer must be willing to respect the rights of its employees and treat them with respect. The employer's responsibilities are defined through the labor laws and policies put in place by the government. An employee's opinion must be sought when decisions that affect them are made. Thus way, difficult employees already understand the consequences of their behavior, and they will work towards avoiding them. In addition, when employees know what to expect as a result of their behavior, it saves a company legal actions and other consequences that arise when employees feel like they have been treated wrongly.

Conclusion

Human resource management is about understanding how to work with people, how to influence them and direct them to the desired direction as a leader. Iverson and Zatzick list the functions of the human resource department as “aligning HR and business strategy, re-engineering organization processes, listening and responding to employees, and managing transformation and change” (29). On an individual level, every person in a managerial position plays a significant role in ensuring that the bigger human resource management objective in an organization is achieved. For this to happen, every manager requires an understanding of basic human resource management skills.

A key skill in human resource management is managing bad employees. Using appropriate intervention strategies, ensuring that employees are satisfied and well-motivated can help them develop a positive attitude towards their job and perform better. In addition, designing and implementing disciplinary measures keeps employees aware of a company’s boundaries and expectations for them.

Works Cited

Hoffmann, Stefanie. Classical Motivation Theories: Similarities and Differences between Them.Norderstedt: Druck and Bindung publishers, 2007. Print.

Iverson, Roderick D. and Christopher Zatzick D. 2011. “The Effects of Downsizing OnLabor: The Value of Showing Consideration for Employees' Morale and Welfare in High-Performance Work Systems.” Human Resource Management 50.1 (2011): 29-44. Print.

Sember, Terrance. Bad Apples: How to Manage Difficult Employees, Encourage Good Ones to Stay, and Boost Productivity. Cincinnati: F+W Media, 2010. Internet resource.

The University of British Columbia. Discipline in the Workplace, 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2013.