How to Deal With Difficult Employees as an HR Director
The key to dealing with difficult employees is understanding what causes their behavior. Difficult employees can be aggressive, complainers and victims. Difficult employees can be found at all levels of business from line workers up through managers and executives. The first rule in assessing the situation is to listen. Spend time talking with the employee to find the root of the behavior in order to deal with it.
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Instructions
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Meet with the employee as soon as possible after a problem arises. Don't wait until the problem escalates or more employees are involved. Meet with the person privately in a professional setting, such as your office or conference room.
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Ask the employee to describe his complaint, problem or issue. Listen carefully for keys to what drives the behavior.
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State your concerns clearly and concisely. Let the employee respond.
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Explain why the employee's behavior is not acceptable. Use examples of instances when this behavior has occurred. Illustrate the behavior's impact on the workplace, other employees, and productivity.
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Discuss the changes that you expect to see. Be specific, and give the employee a time frame in which the behavior needs to change. Let the employee know that you will be monitoring his performance.
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Document the issue, including your expectations of the employee and the time frame you've set for improvement. Make two copies, and have the employee initial both. Keep one for your file; give the second to the employee.
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Make notes of the conversation for your records and file them with the document the employee signed.
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Monitor the employee's progress. Schedule a follow-up meeting to discuss it, and additional meetings as needed.
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References
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