Dealing with Difficult Employees

As a business owner or manager, it is likely you will need to deal with a difficult employee or HR situation at some point. It’s also likely that you may not be an expert in dealing with challenging people due to the fact that, hopefully, these larger issues are an infrequent occurrence.

Such situations might include an employee's behavior, attendance, or job performance issues, but the actions of the employee have gone beyond the initial issue and they have now created some sort of difficult situation, and they may involve other employees or even your customers.

Difficult employees should be dealt with as soon as possible

One difficult employee can quickly escalate into larger problems, including negative employee morale, more disengaged employees, abrupt (unplanned) employment actions, and eventually opening the door to labor claims or lawsuits.

The resulting discontent can quickly spread throughout your company, so it’s critical that you get to the root cause of the issue, and sooner than later. Unfortunately, managing difficult employees is an unavoidable part of the job.

When handled correctly, you are able to diffuse the situation and mitigate further issues and protect your company and your employee productivity.

Here’s a five-step plan that can help you diplomatically and effectively manage difficult employees and poor behavior.

Don’t let problems fester

Employee problems will not simply go away, and they can’t be fixed by trying to temporarily appease an employee or kick the can down the road. Most people hate confrontation, but if handled properly, you can avoid the confrontation and stop a problem before it wreaks chaos on other workers, creating a hostile work environment. Little problems become big problems when allowed to fester.

• Address the problem employee in private with a management-level witness preferably
• Be sure to have as much information about the problem beforehand
• Avoid displays of displeasure in eye or ear view of other employees

Focus on the problem, not the person

It's important to make the conversation about the specific behavior or company policy that was violated and not about the person. Be sure to initiate a non-threatening and professional conversation where the employee can comfortably speak to their side of the issue.

Do not berate or chastise the employee or allow the conversation to escalate. Your communication style can make or break the issue.

• Don’t over-react, stay calm, your response either escalates or de-escalates the situation
• Be respectful, build a rapport, and understand their intentions
• Maintain a neutral tone and watch body language.

Don’t act alone – get help from HR when necessary

Depending on the severity of the issue, it’s best to take some time to process any issues before acting and seeking HR help. Preventing difficulties from turning into bigger issues that may expose your business to employer liability, may take a strategic approach, and that’s where human resources can help. Don’t jump to a fix without seeking qualified counsel.

• Some problems may require an investigation to understand fully
• HR can navigate any laws to ensure the correction or action is legal and justified
• Experienced HR experts have likely seen a similar issue and can suggest practical solutions

Rectifying the situation

Once the problem has been determined and a solution has been agreed upon, approach the employee with the appropriate tools and resources to help them to improve. Articulate the correction and be sure to get their feedback as to what they need to make things right.

Remind them that their negative behavior directly affects the success of the company and that they bear the responsibility to work towards improvement.

• Typical solutions can include various training, coaching, and other tools
• Structure your solution in a way that gives the employee the best chance at success
• Allow feedback, but not heated debate

Follow through

At this point, you’ve had the initial conversation, determined what the problem is, and implemented a solution. Now it is time to allow the difficult employee to work on the planned solution.

Be sure to give them room to adjust and succeed but monitor progress and follow up on whether they are doing well or not. Be sure to establish measurable goals and a specific timeline for completing them.

• Check in with the employee and any affected employees at an appropriate time
• Employee feedback is critical at this point – be willing to listen
• If the undesirable behavior continues, it may be time to consider disciplinary action

The goal is always for the employee involved to work through the problem to the satisfaction of all parties. Subsequently, it’s important to ensure compliance with any and all labor and wage and hour laws in the process. Mistakes in the midst of a difficult situation can lead quickly to legal problems.

At Infinium HR, our vast experience in dealing with hundreds of issues regarding challenging employees or situations makes us uniquely qualified to partner with you in managing a problem for ultimate success.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the HR team at Infinium HR.