CriminalData

Posts Tagged ‘Employee Problems’

When Bad Things Happen to Good Employees

Thursday, September 3rd, 2009

sad employee on employee screening blogAs an employer, you take on a lot of “extras” when you hire an employee—some good, some bad. Good is when the employee’s family and friends become evangelists for your product or service. Bad is when the employee’s personal life affects his or her job performance.

So what is an employer to do when an employee has a personal problem? First, stay alert to changes in your staff’s behaviors. Everyone is entitled to a bad day—and being grumpy is not reason enough to be called into the boss’s office.  But if a good employee with a great attitude and performance history has an apparent personality change or if their attitude is affecting fellow staffers negatively, it’s time to take action.

Address the problem directly with the employee. Keep your emphasis on their performance only—not their personality, their perceived happiness (or lack thereof), or their attitude.

Your employee will likely open up—especially if you’ve established a caring communication culture in your company.  How you proceed is dependent on whether the issue is related to work itself, such as stress or a conflict with a fellow staffer; or if it’s completely based in the employee’s personal life.

You may find that what looked like a personal problem is entirely work-related. In this case, you as the leader must take control of the situation—before it gets worse. Ignore it and you could lose a valuable employee, as well as damage your company’s reputation. Whatever method you use to diffuse employee conflict must be employed right away when a good employee’s job performance is negatively affected by another.

Your employee may share that they are having a personal problem. Perhaps it’s trouble with a child’s day care situation. Or, they’re having family difficulties, such as illness or partner problems. While most employers prefer to stay out of their staffers’ personal lives, anything that is affecting their ability to do their job is your concern.  And remember, if productivity is reduced, or interaction with other employees goes south, you have a responsibility to the company and the entire staff to intervene.

But how? Sometimes a caring ear is all that’s required. Your employee’s attitude could change 180 degrees just because they realize their employer cares. Suggestions regarding day care, home health care for an ill family member, or even drug and alcohol counseling referrals could all be welcome advice to your employee. Tread lightly and respect their right to privacy, but let the employee know that poor performance and affecting others cannot be tolerated long-term.

Be sure to check out our Pre-Employment Screening services. Protect your business, increase your peace of mind and lower turnover by hiring smart!