managing bad employees | SD Nuggets™

I’ve had many discussions with organizational decision makers, about employee behavior over the past 15 years. At first it was as a high performing employee, then later as a service provider.

What frustrates employers often is when some employees act as if the company owes them for doing nothing. Some employees seem to delight in doing things the employer has disapproved of. To make matters worse, they sometimes influence others to do the same.

They arrive late and leave earliest. While at work, they fool around at every opportunity. And they always have a perfect excuse for not coming through on assigned tasks. As a result, running the business becomes a daily nightmare for the employer. She can’t get consistent results from her employees!

Then at the end of the year, these same people turn up expecting to get rewarded equally along with others!

Ironically, certain employers, being the nice guys they are, never know how to say no. So the cycle of EMPLOYER abuse continues. The employer finds herself depending more and more on the diligent staff to pick up the slack introduced by the poor performers.

The diligent staff consequently get worn out over time, and may even quit – especially if they feel they are not being adequately compensated!

How Does An Employer End Up With Unruly Employees?

1. Recruitment Mistakes

It’s possible the employer failed to ask the right questions during recruitment and interview. Or maybe the wrong criteria were used to decide who to employ. Sometimes employers take on people out of pity, due to family pressures or out of a need to save on wages paid. In the process, some square pegs end up in round holes.

People who have no business being in the company get in. And having gotten in, the impression they get from the faulty recruitment process is that the employer wants people like them. So rather than modify their behavior, they simple act true to type.

Do you have a carefully thought out recruitment procedure mapped out? One that ensures only those who fit into your company’s unique culture get in? If NO, get started now – before you bring in wrong people. If they are already in, see steps 2 and 3 below.

2. Absence of Rules & Guidelines

Most people have a natural instinct to be naughty. It’s the presence of rules, regulations and guidelines that often make them keep their excesses in check. Remove those, and you’d be amazed at the transformation some of your employees would undergo! It’s the same in general society. Take out the police and traffic lights, chances are people will misbehave.

Does your company have clearly defined and easy to understand guidelines for employees to abide by? Do you have (or can you prepare) an employee code of ethics and conduct? Make sure it spells out your expectations of employees. Make consequences of wrong doing clear. Allow no ambiguities.

3. Lack of Enforcement

Most important probably, is the issue of enforcement of laid down rules and regulations. People can be mischievous – especially employees. When they learn there are dos and don’ts, the unruly ones may test you to see how willing you are to enforce them. The way you respond will determine how seriously they treat your rules.

If you take prompt action to enforce your rules, a silent message will be communicated to them and they’ll fall in line. It goes without saying that some will be more stubborn than others. So it will ultimately be a test of your resolve. If you stand firm, you’ll eventually get conformance from all of them.

You may have to fire anyone who behaves in a manner that merits such punishment. Be firm about this. It is non-enforcement of laid down rules that makes certain employees become difficult to handle – and a problem to the company.

Final Words: Set Your Company Up So Employees GET IT All The Time!

The most difficult resources to manage in any enterprise are human beings. We are such a complex and complicated mix of many variables. To get the most from your employees, put systems in place to guide their behavior.

That does not mean you have to stifle them. Allow them freedom to do their jobs with creativity, and initiative, but always make sure there are controls to prevent undue excesses.

It is also in your best interest to study your employees to discover what makes them tick, as individuals and as groups e.g. their interests, preferences etc.

This knowledge will guide you in managing them better over time. On a final note, if you let unruly employees get away with disruptive behavior, you set a bad precedent.

Good ones will over time conclude there’s no point being that way. And they’ll either join the club of bad guys, or move to another company that upholds the values they cherish.

In the long run your company will suffer major loss of productivity. Keep in mind that good employees are not easy to find these days. Many of the best people today are starting their own businesses. You therefore want to hold on to the good ones you have for as long as possible!
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