How to Counsel a Troubled Employee

Dealing with a troubled employee is a challenge for any manager. Your staff is what keeps your company together and a troubled employee can mean trouble for your business. Here's how to avoid potential pitfalls with your employee.

Difficulty:

Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Stress Management Counseling
• Human Resource Managers
• Paper And Pencils

1. Take note of dramatic changes in the employee's performance and on-the-job behavior, such as a work speedup or slowdown, increased long hours or absenteeism, and changes in quality of performance.

2. Meet with the employee and determine whether the problem is personal or job-related.

3. Avoid becoming involved in an employee's personal problem. If the employee needs professional help, put him or her in touch with an employee assistance program.

4. Focus on performance issues if the trouble is job-related. In a calm, nonaccusatory manner, point out the changes in the employee's performance.

5. Ask what you can do to help.

6. Work with the employee to develop concrete goals and a timeline for resolving the issues.

Tips & Warnings

• Have your human resources department set up a contract with an outside employee assistance agency. This will ensure that your employees have access to help without having their privacy compromised.

• Some problems cannot be solved without professional intervention. Remember, you are not a therapist.