How to handle an employee with problem behaviour – Globe and Mail article

The Globe and Mail contacted Vancouver-based Clear HR Consulting for human resources expertise for an article on how to handle an employee whose work is good, but whose behaviour is a problem.

Cissy Pau, Clear HR Consulting’s principal consultant, offered some tips and suggestions on how to handle an employee with problem behaviour:

• Ensure the employee’s manager is setting the proper example.  Is the manager contributing to the problem by something they are doing or not doing?
• Provide timely feedback.  If the employee is late, tell them today, not two weeks later. Give them specific examples, and convey the consequences of what impact the behaviour has on co-workers, the project, and/or the client.
• Use incentives to encourage the desired performance.  Not everyone is motivated by the same things; different people could be motivated with money, time off, or even a trip.
• Consider termination if the behaviour is impacting the company’s bottom line or morale. Once you’ve set the expectations, given the employee feedback, provided them with a reward or discipline, and the behaviour still isn’t changing, then the employee may not be a good fit.