7 Shocking Types of Toxic Employees You Must Fire Immediately

Letting go of employees is never easy; however, parting ways with toxic employees is an entirely different story. Believe me when I say, I had to navigate the process of terminating several employees in the past eight months.

Within every organization, there are individuals who exude negativity in the workplace. In fact, a noteworthy study conducted by Michael Housman and Dylan Minor in 2015 at the prestigious Harvard Business School defined toxic workers as those who “engage in behavior that is detrimental to an organization, including causing harm to either its property or people.” These toxic employees not only harm the morale of the entire team but also impede productivity and create a hostile work environment.

It is crucial for employers and managers to swiftly identify these toxic behaviors and take immediate action to remove them from the organization. In this post, we will uncover seven startling types of toxic employees that you simply cannot afford to retain on your team. Let us dive in!

#1: THE DRAMA QUEEN/KING

The drama queen or king thrives on creating drama and conflicts in the workplace. They are always the center of gossip and stir up trouble among co-workers. Moreover, they have a knack for twisting stories in their favor. For instance, a drama queen or king may claim, “I worked really hard, but other team members did not put in enough effort. That’s why we lost the client.” Their negative energy can swiftly permeate the entire team, resulting in a toxic work environment where productivity and cooperation suffer.

#2: THE CHRONIC COMPLAINER

No matter how well things are going, the chronic complainer always manages to find something to complain about. Whether it’s the lack of free food in the pantry or the length of a meeting, their complaints encompass both major and minor issues. They drain the enthusiasm and motivation of those around them by constantly fixating on the negative aspects of work. Moreover, their complaining attitude has the potential to be contagious, significantly affecting the team’s ability to maintain a positive mindset and effectively overcome challenges. Can you think of someone who exudes the characteristics of the chronic complainer?

#3: THE MANIPULATOR

Recently, our organization had to part ways with a manipulator. This individual possessed a remarkable ability to manipulate others through persuasive language, ultimately captivating the heart of our boss and shamelessly exploiting it for personal gain. Engaging in mind games and skillfully manipulating circumstances, he managed to embezzle money from the organization and evade any consequences. Manipulators like him have truly mastered the art of manipulation, utilizing it to obtain their desires.

The presence of such manipulative individuals erodes trust and instills a pervasive sense of unease within the team, thereby hindering the fostering of collaboration and open communication.

#4: THE SLACKER

Oh, the advent of mobile phones and portable gadgets has certainly expanded the arsenal of the slacker! Have you ever experienced the frustration of having co-workers who would rather indulge in video games while you diligently complete an important report?

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The slacker is perpetually lagging behind on their tasks, expertly procrastinating and making up excuses to justify their lack of productivity. As a result, the burden of their unfinished work falls unfairly on the shoulders of diligent team members, who are left to pick up the slack. This toxic employee not only impedes overall productivity but also fuels a sense of resentment among hardworking colleagues. It’s a recipe for dissatisfaction and frustration in the workplace.

#5: THE BULLY

Much like the manipulator, the bully also prioritizes their personal interests above all else. Bullies resort to intimidation, belittlement, and humiliation to exert power over their colleagues, thereby cultivating a hostile work environment. The consequences of their actions can be deeply damaging, inflicting severe psychological and emotional distress on their victims, which in turn leads to decreased job satisfaction and a higher turnover rate. It becomes crucial to take immediate action to safeguard the well-being of the entire team.

However, what if the bully happens to occupy a position in upper management? This poses an even greater challenge and calls for careful consideration of the best course of action.

#6: THE CONSTANT NEGATIVIST

The chronic complainer can overlap some of his or her qualities to the constant negativist. This toxic employee consistently finds ways to criticize and dampen the mood, always seeking out flaws and faults.

Unfortunately, their negative mindset has the potential to spread like wildfire, adversely affecting team morale and stifling creativity. Surrounding oneself with a constant stream of negativity can impede progress and hinder the team from realizing its full potential.

#7: THE GOSSIPER

My previous workplace was plagued with gossipers! A drama queen/king’s accomplice, the gossiper, is particularly harmful when they engage in malicious behavior. They propagate falsehoods about their co-workers, causing harm to healthy working relationships and disrupting team dynamics. In addition to spreading tales about fellow employees, they often initiate rumors about the company itself, such as new policies, impending layoffs, or structural changes.

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In any carefully selected basket, there will always be a few bad apples. However, toxic employees have no place in a healthy and productive work environment. Their negative conduct undermines teamwork, dampens productivity, and diminishes employee morale. By identifying and addressing these seven types of toxic employees, organizations can establish a positive and supportive workplace culture that allows employees to flourish.

Sources: 1 & 2

 

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8 Reasons Why Your Employees Are Leaving You

The reasons why an employee desires to leave may be obvious, such as wanting to pursue better opportunities or feeling underpaid. These reasons provide a better understanding of how you can improve your organization’s processes and recruitment strategies.

So, why do employees leave and what can you do to prevent a good employee from quitting?

#1: LACK OF APPRECIATION

Recognizing the efforts of employees can increase their motivation. When a company and its management ignore the employees’ accomplishments, they may seek value elsewhere. Implement a system that rewards quality output and efficient workers. Most employees are willing to go the extra mile when they feel valued by the company that they work for.

#2: FEELING UNDERPAID

With the uncertainties of the current situation, many Singaporeans seek stability. Salary is among the top reasons why employees depart from their previous employer. Offering competitive salaries and other benefits can prevent the employee from leaving a post. However, not every resignation is financial in nature. Uncovering other underlying factors can be necessary to retain an employee.

#3: LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH

Professionals have a potent desire to grow at a company. Who wants to remain stagnant, anyway? Recognizing the efforts and setting a clear career path can make the employees feel like they have a bright future in the organization.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

#4: MISMATCH BETWEEN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND THE EMPLOYEE

When you first arrived onboard, you were a perfect fit for the organization. As time passes, your goals and values no longer align with the organizational culture. This is a difficult situation to be in as the change needs to be addressed by several employees. Promoting open and honest communication in the workplace can bolster retention rates. Moreover, providing opportunities to interact outside of the office fosters a sense of camaraderie.

#5: LACK OF RESPECT

You are at risk of losing a good employee if he or she does not feel respected or trusted at work. Whether the employee feels disrespected by their boss or co-workers, the negative feelings can pile up. Employees can experience lack of respect in many ways ranging from written instances to sexual harassment. Prevent these issues by providing open channels for communication and exercising regular feedback.

#6: HAVING A HORRIBLE BOSS

A horrible boss can create a toxic environment for the employees. Many high performing workers quit their jobs because of their managers and not because of the job itself. Whether the manager is incompetent or is behaving badly towards the rest of the team, his presence can make or break an employee’s experience. Thus, training is essential. Ensure that the manager is given the tools to properly support their employees.

#7: DISCONNECT WITH THE COMPANY’S VALUES

If an employee no longer sees a connection between him and the company’s values, the employee can leave the organization. Do not sacrifice the company’s values for a result.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

#8: NO WORK-LIFE BALANCE

Last but not least, having no work-life balance can contribute to an employee’s burnout and eventual departure. At the end of the day, you must respect that your employees have lives outside of work. Providing an ample amount for rest and recovery can help improve the quality of one’s work.

Sources: 1 & 2

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Practical Ways To Save Money When Hiring Employees

The second chapter of the year is done. With 2019 in full swing, now is the time for business to open vacancies and focus on meeting their staffing needs. The hiring process can exhaust someone’s time, effort, and money. There is no doubt that hiring can be cumbersome!

On that note, here are practical tips that you can apply during hiring process.

BEGIN WITH THE INTERNAL CANDIDATES

One of the simplest ways to make hiring more efficient is to consider the talent within your company. Hiring internally entails that you do not have to worry about background checks or goodness of fit. Your current talent has already been coherent with the team and has already completed the reference checks.

If you are looking for a principal, perhaps you can source out from your current teacher pool! You just have to train him or her. Promoting existing employees will not necessarily help you avoid training. Instead, you are leading an employee to a smoother transition with his or her basic knowledge in mind.

SPEAK TO THE CANDIDATES THROUGH THE PHONE

Conducting multiple face-to-face interviews is a waste of time! Instead, you must filter out the applicant pile by conducting a phone interview. Screening through the phone is a quick, cost-friendly, and easy way to ensure that the employer’s basic requirements are met.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Once you weed out the bright from the dull candidates, you can reserve a slot for the candidate to meet the Hiring Manager. This way, the Hiring Manager can focus on more important tasks at hand.

CONSIDER HIRING INTERNS

Many companies and startups can agree that interns carry a huge value in the team. Firstly, hiring them is cost efficient. You give them the substantial experience they need for the “real” world while they provide you with their inexpensive services. Secondly, you can train a potential employee. You will know all of his or her strengths, weaknesses, skills, knowledge, attitudes, behavior, and work ethics. Choose your interns wisely.

All the hard work is done! Consider hiring an employee from the interns that impressed you.

SCHEDULE THE INTERVIEW PERIOD STRATEGICALLY

It is no secret that the hiring process takes time. Screening the potential candidates or writing a job description can already take up your entire day. To ignite productivity within the hiring process, you must arrange for all key players to commit to being available within a week-long stretch. Doing so will prevent you from having gaps between the candidate phone screens and the candidate meetings.

You will be able to make decisions smarter and sooner.

GET SOCIAL WITH THE CANDIDATES

Did you know that more than 90% of companies prefer to recruit through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? Yes! Times have changed and you must too.

Have your Human Resources team (or do it yourself) analyze the social media presence of a potential candidate. You will be surprised with what you can uncover! This is a good strategy, especially if you are hiring employees in the Silicon Valley.

MAKE CLEAR AND CONCISE JOB DESCRIPTIONS

Last but not the least, you must create clear and specific job descriptions. There is a higher chance of attracting the right candidate when you invest your time in making sure that job listings are detailed and precise.

State the skills and qualifications that you are looking for. Furthermore, you may state the qualities or behavior that are deal-breakers for you. For instance, the candidate himself will skip through your listing when the skills you are looking for are not parts of his repertoire. The candidates will have a realistic sense of what they have applied for.

Image Credits: pixabay.com

Good luck with the tricky and complex period of hiring! 🙂

Sources: 1 & 2

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Recruiting Millenials (Gen Ys) In Singapore’s Workplace

BACKGROUND

In a detailed survey by Robert Half, more than half of the local bosses in Singapore felt that people from the Generation Y (Gen Y) are hardest to recruit because of their unrealistic expectations. Following Gen Y is the Gen X and the Baby Boomers.

With a whopping population of about 90 million individuals of Millennials all over the world, the range of the generation is still debatable. Scholars defined the beginning of Generation Y as 1977 – 1981 while its end as 2002 – 2008. Studies on Gen Y, that are mainly comparisons of the different generations, are continuing to surface.

ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS

To prevent the costly process of recruitment and training here are some issues and solutions that may help…

1. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS

Issue: Going back to the study done by Robert Half, it showed that the major challenges faced to retain Gen Y employees were unrealistic expectations on career advancement and wages.

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Solution: Stella Tang, director of Robert Half Singapore, imparted that it is optimal for companies to engage the Millenial employees and give them roles that challenge their strengths in order to keep them. Also, employers must draw a comprehensive promotion path. While, Gen Y employees need to pace themselves and gain more experience before expecting a promotion

2. TECHNOLOGY DEPENDENCE

Issue: Employees from Gen Y often find the “shortcuts” to achieve tasks with the help of technology.

Solution: Embrace and accept technology. There is nothing wrong with going with the new tides because some of the marketing tools online can help your company advance. While, Gen Y employees need to perform the job effectively – even by shying away from technology at times.

3. CRITICISMS AND FEEDBACKS

Issue: Some Gen Y employees complain when given criticisms and feedback about their work.

Solution: Coming from the Gen Y, I know that we are more opinionated and outspoken about our rights than the previous generations. But, it is important to realize that constructive criticisms and feedbacks improve the company – its dynamics, products, and services. On the other hand, employers must approach them differently by giving constructive criticisms and feedbacks that instill confidence and direction.

Image Credits: Robin Hutton via Flickr

Image Credits: Robin Hutton via Flickr

Ultimately, these are just guidelines that vary on every situation. I laud Gen Y for their enthusiasm and drive! Employees in Singapore and in the world must not be judge by their generation groups. Rather, they must be judge by their work ethics, experience, abilities, and growth.

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