United States: Five Tips to Manage Needy Employees

Employees who frequently visit the human resources department, bringing recurring tales of woe seem to be a fact of workplace life. Knowing how to break the cycle is important to employee satisfaction and building a responsive workforce. The strategy outlined below is one way to handle this concern.

1. Examine the Differences

My torts professor in law school often said that, "People are like eggs. Some of them are a little cracked but most are basically sound. You just have to take them as you find them". His way of saying there's no real standard for reasonableness that fits everyone. Each one is unique. With frequent complainers (no offense intended here), the employee's standard for workplace norms is different from the rest of your population. The key is identifying and exploring their standard.

2. Set Standards and Expectations

Meet with the employee to determine what his/her standard is for a good working relationship. As an office manager no one should take offense at you asking a few questions. And, it might even build rapport with the employee.

The goal isn't to immediately find a solution. The purpose is to see what the landscape looks like. What's this person's standard and how does it differ from others? Set the expectation at the beginning of the conversation that this is a learning exercise for both of you.

3. Get to the Concern

Think of this conversation like an onion. You want to ask non-threatening questions that peel the onion to its center where the real concern lies.

Ask open-ended questions like,

Take the time to fully explore the answers so you have a good understanding before trying to generate a solution.

4. Adjust the Fit

There will be some areas where the fit isn't optimal. In those cases, look for commonality of goal or purpose that allows the employee to agree with you and act accordingly. For example, say an employee is always late and feels a few minutes here or there per individual shouldn't be considered a significant performance issue. You can argue until the day is done, quoting policy with little improvement. However, a little probing may reveal that the same employee hates working on Saturdays to catch up on missed quotas.

Now, both of you share an interest in a more organized, efficient workplace. That may be the lever you can pull to make the connection to what happens when several 'individuals' are late and how it impacts the group.

What happens if none of the employee values fits with your company culture or policies? Relax. Rarely, in my years working with employees as an Ombuds, have I found someone totally out of in left field. (And, when it did, the employee and I worked to find a better fit either inside or outside the company)

Of course, every situation is unique and requires a well-fitting solution. Be flexible about what may work for the employee. You may find combining resources like having a discussion and offering EAP may also be successful. (Sometimes, discipline is the right answer.)

The point is that if companies want individuals to give their best to their organization, then they should recognize individual needs and concerns. Not in an impractical, unrealistic way, but in a thoughtful way that lets every person know he/she is appreciated.

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.