Toxic Employee
Toxic employees can destabilize a workplace, depress team morale and erode a company’s bottom line. Supervisors need to identify damaging behavior and take corrective actions that turn negative workers into positive performers. Longer range, employers must create supportive workplaces by recognizing employee achievements as well as failures.
Wilber always arrives late. Margareta constantly badmouths her employer. Joseph talks over others in meetings.
Welcome to the employees from hell. Their toxicity creates a negative workplace, causes resignations by colleagues, and threatens the bottom lines of the best businesses.
Related: Are You Dealing Effectively with Negative Workers? Survey
What to do? Here are the actions supervisors can take to turn negative workers into positive performers.
Chronic lateness inconveniences colleagues and creates a dysfunctional workplace. “Dealing effectively with Wilber is a two-step process,” said Eric Cormier, Manager of HR Services at Insperity (Insperity.com). “The first is to find out the real reasons why Wilber struggles to arrive on time. The second is to help him connect the dots to solve the problem.”
Keep in mind that Wilber may be just as frustrated as you by his chronic tardiness. “The fact that Wilber always has a good excuse indicates either that he cannot see the bigger picture for his tardiness, or he is resisting taking accountability,” said Cormier.
Either way, Wilber needs help. Schedule a one-on-one conversation with the goal of shifting Wilber’s perspective so he begins to recognize the scope of his problem. Be open and non-judgmental so Wilber feels comfortable revealing any personal challenges that are affecting his performance. “Set your frustrations aside and be genuinely curious about why Wilber is late so often,” said Cormier.
Start by pointing out that he is rarely on time and ask why that might be the case. If recurring immovable conflicts, like school drop-offs, are the issue, then schedule flexibility might be the solution. “Shifting Wilber’s official arrival time thirty minutes later could make Wilber a punctual employee overnight, and reduce his stress level, too,” said Cormier.
Perhaps Wilber has personal challenges that are causing the problem. “Some mental health conditions can make it more challenging for employees to arrive on time,” said Cormier. “Gently ask him about how he is doing, giving him the opportunity to share without pressuring him to open up. Regardless of Wilber’s answer, his manager can remind him of any available personal resources such as an employee assistance program (EAP).”
The meeting should, above all, be solutions oriented. “Be clear that the goal of the conversation is to step away from excuses, understand the bigger picture and come up with a lasting solution.”
Schedule follow-up meetings so Wilber is held accountable for improvement and can request needed support.
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Recalcitrant employees who appeal to the constraints of their “job description” can frustrate the best of managers. The traditional solution was to throw down a gauntlet: get to work or get fired. But that can create morale problems that affect team performance and erode profitability. Instead, undertake a three-step plan designed to uncover the hidden reason for Sandy’s behavior.
Step One: Assess the situation. “What does your history with Sandy tell you in terms of her willingness to get a little bit stretched in the work she does?” poses Bob Verchota, senior consultant at RPVerchota & Associates, Minneapolis. “Is her reluctance something new, or did it start at a certain time? And is it related to one specific task, or many?” The answers to these questions can provide clues to possible causes.
Step two: Ask Sandy for input about her motivations. “Have a frank conversation with Sandy,” suggests Verchota. “Cover what you know about her work habits, as elucidated in Step One. If she has been willing to perform extra duties in the past, what has changed in the organization?”
Step three: Determine solutions. Rather than impose a solution from above, ask Sandy to suggest a path forward. If she feels her skills are inadequate to the new duties, that can be solved with additional training. If the problem is personnel clashes, this can be solved with counseling for all involved.
Remind recalcitrant employees that most job descriptions include a phrase requiring employees to perform “other duties as assigned.”
Failure to deal with an overbearing team member can create morale and productivity problems when employees feel their contributions are belittled.
“Have a sit-down meeting with Joseph and explain how their behavior is affecting other people,” suggests Deanna Baumgardner, President at Employers Advantage (employersadvantagellc.com). “Say something like, ‘We’ve noticed you’re talking over people, you’re talking loudly and interrupting. We need to give other people the opportunity to share. Here’s what we expect from you.’ Then provide guidance on how Joseph should pause his own statements to let others contribute.”
Despite Joseph’s best efforts to improve, he may occasionally lapse. If his intrusions continue unchallenged, other employees will lose respect for the manager. It’s wise to speak up and create opportunities for other people to express their ideas. This can be done with a statement as simple as, “Joseph, thank you for your feedback. Now let’s hear from somebody else.”
Ask Joseph if he would like coaching on how to communicate well in group settings.
Customers have long memories. When they hear an employee make negative remarks about a fellow customer, they will start to wonder if they will also be targeted. Revenues will likely be affected.
“You should talk to Julia to say you have observed her behavior and it is not acceptable,” said Anastasiia Khyzhniak, Talent Enablement Director at Jooble (jooble.org). “She needs to understand that such actions create a bad environment for other workers, turn off customers and create a bad image for the company in the community.” Even if a customer had not overheard her remark, imposing negative sentiments on another employee can create a toxic workplace.
The trick here is to avoid being too negative in tone before you get Julia’s side of the story. Perhaps she was having an especially bad day or other factors played into the event. “Start the conversation by giving positive feedback about Julia’s performance in general,” said Khyzhniak. “Highlight her positive traits and tell her she has a huge future with the company. Then go on to say that you are addressing her recent performance from a place of care. Note that the behavior you observed will get in the way of her advancement if it continues.”
It may be that rude behavior on the part of a customer sparked Julia’s outburst. If so, Julia needs instruction on productive engagement of such situations. “A better way to handle a rude customer is to give direct but polite feedback, setting reasonable personal boundaries,” said Khyzhniak. “If Julia feels the need to blow off steam, she should do so outside of work with her friends. She might even be encouraged to come to you to vent.”
Finally, agree on some outcomes. Julia can commit to not repeat her offense. She can also make a conscious effort to adopt a certain kind of positive behavior with the public that will help her advance in the company.
Over the coming weeks, monitor Julia’s behavior to assess her progress. At an appropriate time, praise Julia for her behavior or schedule another counseling session.
Create a workplace environment in which employees feel free to come to you to unbottle frustrations that can impede their performance.
Poisonous attitudes don’t come from a void. “It’s important to understand why Margareta made her comment,” said Shep Hyken, customer service consultant. “The first step is to consider her work history. Did she start out contented, and at a certain point become upset or unhappy? If so, that information can be helpful in a coaching session to uncover the reason she is so negative about the company.”
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Schedule a coaching session that is positive in its nature. State something like, “I heard you make this comment. I’m very concerned about it. I want to understand why that was made. What happened to you to make you want to say that?” This approach tells Margareta that you are on her side. You want to alleviate any workplace pressures that are affecting her performance.
This is a perfect opportunity to uncover anything wrong in the company that might be affecting other employees. Is it a certain process? The behavior of a colleague? A supervisor?
Once you have this information you can take steps to alleviate any negative workplace problem. You can also coach Margareta on steps she can take to adopt a positive attitude.
Toxic bosses are the number one reason good employees quit their jobs.
“Carlos’s supervisor should first try to uncover what’s causing the negativity,” said Randy Goruk, president of The Randall Wade Group, Scottsdale, AZ (leadersedge360.com). “Are there challenges at home? Is something happening in the work environment?”
If Carlos is being negative about a certain topic, then ask for solutions that can turn the negative into a positive. If you can’t do what he suggests, explain why and explore alternatives.
Longer range, the supervisor should also make a point of showing appreciation and recognition to Carlos when he does something worthy of it. Emphasize his skills and value to the organization. Being available and approachable to all employees sends a signal that you want to hear what they have to say.
Goruk also suggests making a personal connection with Carlos to discover what gives him joy. “The supervisor may be able to find ways to introduce nuggets of joy into his negative viewpoint or conversation.”
Supervisors can help create positive feelings in the staff by taking the lead in celebrating team successes and developing recognition programs.
There is no universal formula when dealing with negative employees. Because everyone’s background is a little different, success lies in determining a tailored response.
All solutions, though, tend to share one commonality: They rely on a proactive supervisor to arrange for a counseling session, determine the cause of toxic behavior, and blaze a path forward. “Schedule a transparent and clear conversation about what has transpired with the negative worker and why their behavior is not okay,” said Dennis Theodorou, Managing Director at JMJ Phillip Group (jmjphillip.com). “Exhibit some understanding and empathy and encourage employees to open up about underlying issues. Then set expectations for the future.”
Longer range, supervisors should emphasize the positive in employee relations. “The management habit of only pointing out negatives can create an unhealthy work environment,” said Theodorou. “While you have to be firm but fair with employees when things are not going in the right direction, you must also recognize and reward those same employees when things are going right.”
Phillip M. Perry is an award-winning business journalist based in New York City. He covers management, employment law, finance and marketing for scores of business magazines.
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