Being recruiters, we come across a myriad of situations and circumstances where people are dealing with difficult people. In fact, some would go so far as to say that this is the most demanding part of managing people. As the saying goes; ‘There is nought so queer as folk.’
And these situations come in all shapes and sizes; from demanding, unproductive, arrogant, aggressive and overbearing employees; the nightmare employee can create a cloud over the entire office.
If I think about some of the circumstances we have had described to us in the last few years [e.g. coming to work smelling of alcohol, being a bully, theft, rudeness] we have two pieces of advice for you: firstly, remain professional at all times. Secondly… don’t take it personally.
Chances are, the difficult staff member will not decide to move to Australia next week and given it is not so easy to fire them … working out what to do is the best option.
Following are descriptions of 6 difficult employee types and some ways to manage them:
1. Negative Employees
These employees fall into various categories but typically they will be pessimists, criticizers, ‘half empty glass’ people. Nothing ever seems to be right.
Criticizers comment on others to make themselves look good or feel better. They seem to pick fights for no reason. They will disagree just because they like to disagree and they affect the moods of those around them.
Suggestion: look for their strong points, where they excel. See if there is an area they can be responsible for that will help build a positive attitude. Use performance management as positive reinforcement.
2. Perfectionists
These are the people who find it hard to let go. They are tough on themselves and seem to sometimes take ages to get a project completed because they can’t resist the urge to fine tune it here and tweak it there.
Suggestion: try setting a deadline and sticking to it. Talk about the bigger picture instead of looking at the small stuff. It’s all about helping them to relax and ‘let go.’
3. Back late from lunch employees
This is the person who slides out of doing their bit, is late back from lunch, spends ages on personal calls, is a prolific internet surfer and makes everything apart for work important.
Suggestion: Structure, structure, structure. Ignore any jibes about being a micromanager. This person needs tight structure and checking.
4. Dictators/Autocrats
These are the ones that like to walk all over you if you are not careful. They will tell you what to do and when. They are bossy.
Suggestion: There is a variety of ways to manage a situation like this. One such method is to use ‘I’ statements… “I feel uncomfortable when you try and tell me how to do my job.” Or “I appreciate your advice, but have the matter under control.”
5. Moody Employees
These people can be just plain annoying. In reality they are less dangerous than some of the other personality types you may have to deal with.
Suggestion: Try asking them if all is ok.
They will invariably say; “Yes” and ask why… which opens the door to you relying: “Because you don’t seem to be yourself today. Is there something wrong?”
As a result the response will be an apology or perhaps an explanation as to what’s wrong. Well managed conversations like this can be a great way to break tension and lighten the mood.
However it doesn’t mean you have to become the resident therapist!
6. Substance Users/Alcohol
This is a situation that needs to be carefully managed with a high degree of caution. Here we would recommend you seek advice before you act. There are many places to find the advice needed: Department of Labour, EMA and your lawyer.
So – the next time you are faced with a tricky situation, consider it a learning situation. Diffuse, resolve and enjoy getting an additional ‘string to your bow’ as this experience creates valuable career development.
Research sources: Frog Recruitment; career-intelligence.com; frugalmarketing.com
Author: Jane Kennelly
