How To Deal With A Problematic Employee

We all know that the foundation to any successful business is its customers and especially, its employees. But what happens then if your employee becomes problematic? Below are the steps you can take:

Being a business person is not easy, so the last thing you need is problematic employees who only add weight to your daily stress. Hiring someone is a risk many business people take because they only rely on a great interview and skills on paper to employ their team. As a business owner, in addition to fulfilling your dreams,  you do want to empower people to launch their careers, make a living and support their families. But it’s challenging having someone who doesn’t add to the well being of the company. Such employees distract and frustrate their colleagues and can upset customers. How do you deal with someone who always shows up late, leaves early and always misses their deadline? You ask. This is how:

Document any evidence: This is a very important step as it will help provide scenarios of your employee’s unacceptable behaviour. Ignoring the problem in the hope that this problem will go away will only make things worse. Make sure that you are armed with evidence, in writing that you can use to back up your concerns.

Make your employee aware of your concerns: Set up a meeting with your employee and bring to their attention how their behaviour affects everyone else. Sometimes they might be unaware of the problems they are causing and it’s your responsibility to make them aware. Find out if they have any personal issues affecting their work or what makes them behave a certain way. Don’t be defensive but encourage your employees to get back on track. If they continue, you will at least have back up that you did address the issue.

Put measures in place: Remind your employee that there are consequences for their actions, especially if they are detrimental to the well-being of the company. Follow the company’s policies on verbal and written warnings, especially if the need arises.

Termination may be the best solution: With the country’s rife unemployment rate the decision to let any employee go is a nightmare for any boss. But if your employee continues to be difficult and hurts what your business stands for you have to let them go.

How have you best dealt with difficult employees?