I have recently joined an IT company as HR. It is a small-sized company, comprised of 10-15 employees only. The company has 2-3 senior employees, working for the last 10-12 years with it on a high pay scale.
The issue is, these senior employees don't take their work responsibilities. They leave bugs in customer projects for no reason (maybe intentionally, because they are experienced and knowledgeable).
These employees know that the company needs them, cannot fire them. And if they will get fired, they will get another good job very easily!
How to handle it? How to make them responsible for their work?
From India, Ganganagar
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The issue is, these senior employees don't take their work responsibilities. They leave bugs in customer projects for no reason (maybe intentionally, because they are experienced and knowledgeable).
These employees know that the company needs them, cannot fire them. And if they will get fired, they will get another good job very easily!
How to handle it? How to make them responsible for their work?
From India, Ganganagar
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The point here is to make the concerned senior employees work as per their job description, and for that purpose, they should be pulled up. This exercise is to make them mend their ways and not to send them out. Still, if they fail to correct themselves, certainly they should be shown the exit, that's all. Here, their high degree of employability cannot be a point to countenance their willful failure to perform their job as described. The poster should remember that a proper dismissal on the ground of grave misconduct or wanton failure to work is a stigma that will affect such an employee's employability throughout his future career.
From India, Salem
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6108From India, Salem
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Thank you, Umakanthan.M. Please suggest ways to motivate them to perform error-free tasks. Informal discussions have been held several times by the management previously. Somehow, the company also relies on them. Situated in the (not so big) city of Rajasthan, experienced and knowledgeable candidates are very rare to find.
From India, Ganganagar
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From India, Ganganagar
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This needs a change in work culture and individual attitude. Both are time-consuming processes and cannot be attained swiftly. Yet, the process of change has to start, and there is no better time than the present to start with. So, you need to take positive steps as well as negative steps on what is acceptable behavior in the organization now. But for all this, you need the top management support and commitment.
You need an intervention by an expert (OD Consultant), it appears. Since you are a very small setup, you may plan a combined summit of all employees which could be the ideal occasion to bring a consultant into the picture and chart out a new course.
From India, Mumbai
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You need an intervention by an expert (OD Consultant), it appears. Since you are a very small setup, you may plan a combined summit of all employees which could be the ideal occasion to bring a consultant into the picture and chart out a new course.
From India, Mumbai
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Dear Aariesrora, this is in addition to the views expressed by other learned members. You say that your company needs these employees. It appears that they too know this and have been taking undue advantage of it. However, sometimes the leadership of your company has to bite the bullet. You have been lenient with these seniors all along, but this lenience cannot continue indefinitely. Customers expect flawless service, and if it is not provided, then the business is bound to suffer. Has your MD calculated the cost of customer dissatisfaction vis-a-vis the cost of retention of these employees? I am sure the former outweighs the latter.
Talk with the MD and start thinking of arranging the replacement of these seniors. As you employ new persons, make sure that these old seniors report to the new ones. Temporarily, the MD should withdraw from the operations; however, from the backend, he should support the new employees. When the right time comes, check out these old seniors.
Tell your MD that he runs a business enterprise and not a charity center. Business growth and expansion should always be on the mind of the leadership. But this can happen provided he thinks from his head and not from his heart. Therefore, the time has come to take an unemotional and dispassionate view of the situation.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Talk with the MD and start thinking of arranging the replacement of these seniors. As you employ new persons, make sure that these old seniors report to the new ones. Temporarily, the MD should withdraw from the operations; however, from the backend, he should support the new employees. When the right time comes, check out these old seniors.
Tell your MD that he runs a business enterprise and not a charity center. Business growth and expansion should always be on the mind of the leadership. But this can happen provided he thinks from his head and not from his heart. Therefore, the time has come to take an unemotional and dispassionate view of the situation.
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
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Dear friend,
Like every individual, every organization has a lifespan - mostly longer than that of the individuals who run it. Therefore, nobody is indispensable in the long run. Just because of their senior positions, if some employees wantonly fail to discharge their duties, it amounts to insubordination that would always culminate in incompetency. No use in keeping the incompetent employees for long. Whatever the location of your organization, it is not so difficult to find proper substitutes in the long run.
From India, Salem
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Like every individual, every organization has a lifespan - mostly longer than that of the individuals who run it. Therefore, nobody is indispensable in the long run. Just because of their senior positions, if some employees wantonly fail to discharge their duties, it amounts to insubordination that would always culminate in incompetency. No use in keeping the incompetent employees for long. Whatever the location of your organization, it is not so difficult to find proper substitutes in the long run.
From India, Salem
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Strategies to Address Senior Employee Performance Issues
You need to adopt a strategy to encourage the senior employees to step out of their comfort zones. The seniors should be clearly informed by the MD that they need to change their ways and meet the expected work standards, or else serious measures will be taken. Provide them with a 2-3 month timeframe to improve. Begin searching for potential replacements now and inform them that steps to replace them are in progress.
Exploring Job Profile Changes
Consider whether their job profiles can be altered, assigning each to distinct teams or targets to foster a competitive culture. Determine if the most deserving among them can be promoted with more significant responsibilities, while the other two report to this individual.
These approaches aim to make them realize they are not indispensable. If, despite your sincere efforts, they do not improve and it negatively impacts the organization, you may have no option but to replace them one by one.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
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You need to adopt a strategy to encourage the senior employees to step out of their comfort zones. The seniors should be clearly informed by the MD that they need to change their ways and meet the expected work standards, or else serious measures will be taken. Provide them with a 2-3 month timeframe to improve. Begin searching for potential replacements now and inform them that steps to replace them are in progress.
Exploring Job Profile Changes
Consider whether their job profiles can be altered, assigning each to distinct teams or targets to foster a competitive culture. Determine if the most deserving among them can be promoted with more significant responsibilities, while the other two report to this individual.
These approaches aim to make them realize they are not indispensable. If, despite your sincere efforts, they do not improve and it negatively impacts the organization, you may have no option but to replace them one by one.
Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR and Employee Relations Consultant
From India, Mumbai
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A good team leader always takes responsibility for the performance of their team and won’t throw any responsibilities. but bad manager is opposite. A clear-cut sign of a bad manager is to don't take their work responsibilities
From India, Pune
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From India, Pune
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Addressing Senior Employees' Lack of Responsibility
When senior employees shirk their responsibilities and duties, it sets a poor example for junior staff. In such situations, it's crucial to consult with the Managing Director (MD) to understand his perspective. If he agrees with your concerns about the poor work culture, steps can be taken to initiate change.
Setting Targets and Monitoring Performance
Establish clear targets and monitor them through Management Information System (MIS) reports. These reports should detail achievements and any shortfalls, along with reasons for them.
Exploring Talent and Understanding Issues
Being in a small city, talent may not be readily available. However, discreetly explore potential replacements. Communicate with current employees to understand why they might be taking their responsibilities lightly. Discuss these factors with the MD, and if they are indeed issues, take steps to address them.
Implementing Changes and Accountability
A kind of shake-up may be necessary to motivate change. If replacements are hard to find due to the location, remember that these senior employees may also struggle to find suitable jobs elsewhere. Begin holding them accountable for errors that affect customer confidence. Once they realize that the MD will not tolerate a "come easy, go easy" attitude, they may change their behavior.
Maintaining Open Communication
Keep communication lines open. The MD should interact frequently with the team and monitor their progress to ensure accountability and improvement.
From India, Pune
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When senior employees shirk their responsibilities and duties, it sets a poor example for junior staff. In such situations, it's crucial to consult with the Managing Director (MD) to understand his perspective. If he agrees with your concerns about the poor work culture, steps can be taken to initiate change.
Setting Targets and Monitoring Performance
Establish clear targets and monitor them through Management Information System (MIS) reports. These reports should detail achievements and any shortfalls, along with reasons for them.
Exploring Talent and Understanding Issues
Being in a small city, talent may not be readily available. However, discreetly explore potential replacements. Communicate with current employees to understand why they might be taking their responsibilities lightly. Discuss these factors with the MD, and if they are indeed issues, take steps to address them.
Implementing Changes and Accountability
A kind of shake-up may be necessary to motivate change. If replacements are hard to find due to the location, remember that these senior employees may also struggle to find suitable jobs elsewhere. Begin holding them accountable for errors that affect customer confidence. Once they realize that the MD will not tolerate a "come easy, go easy" attitude, they may change their behavior.
Maintaining Open Communication
Keep communication lines open. The MD should interact frequently with the team and monitor their progress to ensure accountability and improvement.
From India, Pune
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