Staff issues

You ask them if there is a problem with the protocols you've shown them. if they say there isnt a problem, you ask in which case, why arent they being followed? if there is a problem, what is it, and if they continue not to follow them you fire them (if they have been there less than a year). if more, then you explain in words of one syllable that if they wish to keep the role, they must do as you instruct.

you always have staff issues ?. i m just damn thankful that i dont have any (full timeemployees) anymore. theyre a huge ballache.

Issue a warning as the staff are not follwoing a management instruction! I do not have the paitence either and I do not make these checklists up for my health!

Can you tell I have had experience of this!!??

Is it complicated? Do you think the person is just not understanding it or is choosing to ignore it? If the latter then i'd be inclined to ask what they would do that they think is better than the way you've told them to do it.

I KNOW I always have staff issues. Staff are a nightmare. This person is really, really good at some stuff though. There is no issue over folliwng the process, he forgot. He said he will try and remember more. I said it's not a question of trying to remember, this is the process, it HAS to be done every time, it's not a choice.

I am probably sacking someone else soon, too. I am clearly not great at recruiting ?

L
xx

WNJS. More or less. The fact that your checklist was ignored so quickly might be an indication that there's something you're not seeing. Or you could have employed a duffer.

Either way, I'd ask if there was a problem in the first instance.

it is about as complicated as making a cup of tea. I am surprised I haven't had to make a check list for that, now I think of it.

L
xx

ah you should have said. mrsnick for example is bloody awful at making tea ?

OK, actually it is easier than tea as there is no chemical process going on

L
xx

You can give them a written warning explaining that their work is falling short of the standards you expect and that you are looking to see a significant improvement. Spell out what an acceptable improvement is and in what timescale it must be achieved, if they don't step up you can get rid. This is the route we are currently having to go down, staff can be a real headache, although saying that the good ones are tricky too, we have an absolute angel who works her socks off and I dread her ever wanting to leave.

I'm in a similar situation. Simple tasks that have to be done, I've shown one of them, written instructions on how they should be done, and are they even attempted? No. I only have 8 employees but it sometimes feels as if I've got 800 - such a headache.

We've never bothered with appraisals before but I think this is a line I may go down so I can pick up on any additional training requirements or give me something concrete to work from if this person continues to disregard instuctions to allow us to comply with legislation so if it ever comes to sacking them, I have evidence of assisting them but they were deemed incompetent.

Do you have such a system in place?

the problem with that approach is that if you work in a small team, like lois does, that it can create huge tension and bad feeling. if the firm is larger and its HR who do it, then its less of an issue as there is a separation involved. my problem when i used to do things like this is i was a bit too frank with them, which lead them to be scared shitless, and i learnt from that. i think a more friendly but stern approach works well, and i subsequently had good results with that, so having a bit of a laugh but at the same time making sure the message hit home.

We don't have an official appraisals system in place. However, in the last week we have sat down with this person and told them how great they are doing in some areas, pointed out some errors. A kind of informal appraisal. Then I spoke to both the relevant staff at the weekend about remembering the procedures, and introduced the check list.

It was definitely being treated as a suggestion, rather than an instruction. I don't know why, I am not laid back about things ?

Actually, I DO have an ongoing issue in that staff, generally, seem to do as I ask for a while and then they just drift off into doing that they want. Is that normal? I always think check lists and the like seem like overkill, but maybe I am too lax?

L
xx

I agree Nick, and think that Lois has done the right thing by tackiling the situation with a chat first off, my suggestion was meant as a possible next step I suppose. We too have a small team, H and I along with 2 employees, this has made the situation of one employee not following protocol far more noticeable and we felt that as our chats (even stern ones) has had no long lasting effect that we had to act further. Our employee's actions were having an impact on our other member of staff and I think she needed to know that we were taking the situation seriously and not just leving her to pick up the slack. Anyway, enough waffle about me!

I will have to go down the written warning route if the chat doesn't work, because relaistically I cannot see what else there is to do

L
xx

Hope it goes well, its so frustrating isn't it?

Yes. I mean, my word is law, how hard is that to comprehend? ?

L
xx

If the checklist was initially more of a suggestion, is there any way you can implement it as an actual requirement? Also some of the checklists we have at work have to be signed off by the supervisor at various stages in the process before the work can finally be concluded. Is this an option here or would that create more work for you, assuming you are the supervisor?

We had a junior here once and one of her jobs was to make the tea and coffee for meetings. Her efforts were completely rank. In the end we had to give her a step by step guide to keep by the kettle. It did work eventually. ? She left ages ago, but I think the checklist is still in the kitchen actually.

It wasn't a suggestion, it was a 'this is how we do things and I have put this together as a reminder for you'. I think I am going to make it an additional requirement that I then get the completed check list for every time the process is followed. Which is a lot.

L
xx

I would make your staff member initial each action on the list as it is performed. Then you can check that it has been done and demand to know why it has been initialled if it has in fact not been done. Very time consuming for all concerned but either your staff member will get so fed up with having to do that that they will do it properly anyway or they will get into the habit of doing it properly and problem solved.

The checklist is actually a list of questions, so no need to initial it, because each one should have an answer by it.

L
xx

Could you prepare a printed piece explaining the procedure and why it is important, then require the staff to sign to say they had read and understood and would implement the procedure? This may make them realise it (and you) are serious and give you more come-back if/when needed.

I could, but it seems mad. I mean, it's their JOB, they shouldn't have to sign a piece of paper to say they'll do each aspect of their job, surely?

L
xx

Have you identified whether they don't want to do it (not really interested in the job, looking for something else, didn't realise what the job involved before they took it, just don't like parts a,b,c etc) or whether they can't do it (haven't had the necessary training, have had the training but forgotten/didn't understand and are too embarassed to ask for help?).

I had a similar situation with a staff member a couple of years ago (was actually someone who reported into the person who reported into me IYSWIM), was all set to go down the disciplinary route when I decided to sit in on one of their one-to-ones. Became very clear that the person just really wasn't interested in that aspect of the job, thought the job was going to be very different to what it was. So us giving checklist upon checklist wasn't going to make the damndest bit of difference. Instead, we rejigged the team slightly so that he could pass over some of that role to someone who really enjoyed it, and gave him some new responsibilities that were more in keeping with what he thought the job would entail. Two years on, he's recently been promoted.

I appreciate it isn't always that simple, but if you've gone over this a couple of times and it's not sinking in, there's something else up.