The workplace is somewhere that we’ll spend a huge portion of our lives. Like it or not, it’s essentially your home away from home. As such, it’s important that you do all you can to ensure that it is as harmonious and productive as it can be. Problems within the workplace between employees can often lead to reduced productivity, high levels of stress and tension, and even higher levels of turnover.
One of the most common problems within a workplace environment is simply that of the toxic employee. Here at Technalink we’ve seen and experienced our fair share of toxic employees over the years, and also the amount of damage that they can do within a company. From reducing overall employee satisfaction to creating constant conflicts and beyond, these employees are often doing more harm to your company than good. But they’re not always a lost cause. Let’s look at some of the steps you can take if you’re managing a workplace with a toxic employee at its heart.
- First of all, identify just whom is sowing discord within your business. There could be a single individual or it could be multiple problem employees, but the key is to identify who’s creating the most problems and what they’re doing.
- You’ll need to figure out exactly what is causing their discontent. Very few toxic employees are being problematic just because they enjoy it. Things like frustration over pay, promotions, or other issues will often be the main contributing factor here.
- Try to have a direct conversation with the employee. Don’t be confrontational here – you need to let them know that you’re interested in helping them be all they can be within your business. Ask them about anything they feel is unfair and what they believe could change within the company.
- On the flipside of this, you can’t take unreasonable steps just to appease a single employee. Not only can it set them up to do the same things in the future, but it can also create jealousy among other employees. If a toxic employee has a true reason to be upset, identifying it and overcoming it is important. But it’s also vital that you are able to identify when a problem is simply sour grapes.
- On that end, being willing to cut an employee loose is something you need to bear in mind. You may have various terminations protocols to reach, but even in these cases it’s important to know when and why to cut loose an employee who is causing more harm than good.
Managing a workplace isn’t always easy, but there are steps worth remembering. Those above are some key examples you’ll want to keep in mind that can help you if a toxic employee is creating a difficult working environment for the rest of your team.
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