The way an organization deals with troubled employees determines the employee productivity and job satisfaction. Understanding the problems being faced by such employees can help an organization in keeping attrition levels low. Here are some ways and tips to deal with troubled employees.
Interact with the employees and assess the nature of the problem
The first thing to do when you notice a considerable decline in an employee productivity is to interact with the employees. This works on multiple levels. It gives the manager a clear understanding of the problem. In addition, it also serves to give the employee an avenue to discuss the problem in case the employee is hesitant in taking up the matter with the seniors. Encourage the employee to confide in you for you to provide assistance. Convey to the employee that you see a drop in the performance and would like to attend to issues that are leading to the decline in productivity. Once the nature of the problem is ascertained, further course of action can be determined. If the problem is professional, get to the root of the issue.
Offer help in dealing with the workload
If the employees are unable to cope with the workload, help the troubled employees in charting out a solution for managing the work. This would require patience on the part of the seniors. In case of new team members such a problem is understandable. For those who have been in the system for a while, unreasonable expectations on the part of the seniors can take its toll. Eventually, this leads to a burnout. Make an objective assessment of the tasks assigned to the employees. Help your team members in improving productivity. Work pressure can sometimes adversely affect the employees’ performance. Motivate them by asserting their value in the team and the process as a whole. Build a work plan that gradually increases the number of tasks assigned as the employees gain confidence and become more organized.
Empathize with those going through a personal crisis
If a personal problem is affecting the performance of an employee, the manager need not to dig deep. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the employee may not be comfortable in discussing a personal problem in a professional environment. Secondly, the manager too needs to draw a line when it comes to the employee’s privacy. What a manager can and must do though is to empathize with the troubled employee. This is because the manager needs to build the environment at the workplace such, that the people feel valued and work hard to achieve their and the team’s goals despite the problems they are facing in their lives. This is what an organization’s work culture is all about. Give the employee time to cope with and to bounce back from a personal problem. The manager needs to stand by those who perform to the best of their capabilities under normal circumstances. This strengthens the relationship between the employees and their managers.
Do not overlook the problem
It is observed that in case of people who perform well, the manager may ignore the problem of a visible decline in productivity hoping for the employees to regain the lost momentum soon enough. The problem with such an approach is that it may delay the work that needs to be undertaken in rectifying an issue that is taking its toll on an employee’s performance. Even if a manager has complete faith in the capabilities of a team member, it is important to make a subtle reference to the dip in the performance in order to know if there is any issue that requires to be looked into. Motivate the employees to do their best when you notice something amiss. Do not wait for the issue to acquire a bigger dimension.
Take tough decisions if it becomes a necessity
The first step towards dealing with any issue is to look for an amicable solution. This holds especially true in case of professional relationships. It is in the interest of an organization to keep the attrition levels low but if the problem goes beyond repair, parting ways with the troubled employees is the only way out. This is to be done only when all the other options have been exhausted. If the employee refuses to understand the obligations of a professional environment where performance matters despite the problems one encounters, then no other alternative remains. Deal strictly with employees who play truant deliberately. Help employees deal with the work pressure but if no visible results are achieved over a long period of time and the people concerned show no enthusiasm in rectifying the same, some tough decisions may be called for on the part of the manager.
