Six trigger points reveal the root cause of difficult employees

How to manage difficult staff and promote positive behaviour at work

ìAn enormous amount of workplace energy, hours and money is wasted on dealing with difficult and negative employee behaviourî said Robert Half Director, Richard Dunks. ìIt is important that this kind of conduct is identified and immediately dealt with so that the appropriate focus on customers and the business can be resumed.î

ìThere are generally only two scenarios when people are not performing ñ either they do not want to or they do not know how to,î said Dunks.

Workplace consultant Dr Steven Saunders, of Steven Saunders & Associates says while the symptoms of difficult employees often have a huge impact on an organisation and can be felt throughout the team, it is not always so easy to identify why they are occurring.

It is paramount that negativity is not allowed to breed throughout a team. Unhappy employees can often engage in ëwell-poisoningí behaviour which can encourage other team members to join in or to negatively influence the functioning of a team.

Saunders recommends the examination of six key trigger points from which the root of the problem can often be traced:

Leadership ñ employers should examine themselves and the management team. If staff do not have a leader with constancy of purpose, consistency in standards and clarity of communication, you have a breeding ground for difficult behaviour.

Fit - complications can simply result from an employee being a square peg in a round hole. Perhaps the wrong candidate was chosen at interview phase and does not fit with the role, the company culture or the existing team. When a company and a staff member are hopelessly mismatched, almost every strategy becomes a patching solution.

An individualís energy levels - if people have any negative traits, those characteristics tend to be exposed far more when they are tired. This is true of many people who are drained and stressed.

A heart that is not in the job - check whether a person really wants to be in the role. Is the job truly what they want to do or, perhaps, do they harbour plans to move on?

Psychological issues - some people, through no fault of their own, have psychological problems and suffer from underlying issues of poor self-image. Other factors such as high stress, tension, depression and other psychological and psychiatric disorders, can contribute quite significantly to difficult behaviour.

Tools and training ñ employees can become difficult or tetchy because they have not got the tools or the training to do the job. They feel as though they are in a no-win situation and their behaviour might be out of frustration arising from that.

ìAs a leader, it is very important that this behaviour is immediately leapt on,î advised Dunks. ìA perceptive boss will often notice growing tensions and will already have mechanisms in place for employee feedback to management. Nip it straight in the bud by staying focused on the issue and not allowing a difficult employee to draw you in, personalise an issue or, in some cases, publicly undermine you.î

The worst scenario is doing nothing and that is bad for business, bad for the employee, and no one wins.î

Robert Half Top Tips for Dealing with Difficult Employees

- Deal with it as quickly possible ñ do not let it drag out and evolve into a bigger issue

- Be specific ñ focus on the issue rather than being distracted by personalities or following irrelevant paths

- Look at Dr Saundersí six key areas to identify what is driving the problem ñ leadership, fit, energy levels, heart-in-the-job, psychological issues and tools and training

- Take whatever corrective action is appropriate and do not be afraid to seek external help

- Stay calm and relaxed ñ for your employees but, as much, for your own health and sanity