They’re meeting all their work goals, but driving their colleagues crazy. What’s HR to do?
HR's role isn’t easy, from telling a worker they stink to navigating the pitfalls of worker romances – it’s a job that often requires tact and the ability to suppress embarrassment. So what can be done when a worker’s personality is affecting team morale and engagement?
Personality clashes are common, but when one employee doesn’t seem to fit it’s a tough job for HR. If their work performance is meeting requirements it can seem like there is nothing to do but hope the problem solves itself. However, delaying a response can be a serious mistake.
“Most leaders get wary of confronting the individual because on the surface it doesn't appear to be a performance problem. In reality that is exactly what it is,” HR consultant and coach Carlann Fergusson said. “When the behavior of the individual is causing others to avoid working with him/her it does affect everyone’s performance.”
In a workplace that requires cooperation and teamwork, these kinds of conflicts affect efficiency and even when the person works independently the issue could be affecting client and colleague relationships. Fergusson suggested the key for the manager is to help the employee see it as a problem that they must correct to be successful.
She suggests taking the following steps:
It may also be necessary to coach coworkers in modelling professional behaviour to avoid the eye-rolling and harmful gossip that can become a de-motivating part of team culture.