Retain Employee Who Is Productive But Has A Negative Attitude?

What will you do as an HR person if you are in a situation like, for example, the company has an employee who is very good at work and is productive for the company, but when it comes to his background and attitude, it is not good at all? He has a negative attitude towards other employees. Will you retain him or terminate him? What will be your solution? The solution should be such that it should not harm either the company's productivity or other employees because for an HR person, both the company's productivity and employees are very important.

Please suggest to me.

Hoping for the best suggestion.

Hi Suki,

As you said, both of them are required for you. Try to adopt some training plans to change the attitude of employees. In that case, it can change. Please do retain them. When you are preparing for a training plan, you may do that as well. Try to convince your boss and also employees. This is my advice for you.

Seniors, if I am wrong, please do correct me.

Thanks

Hi Suki,

A couple of months ago, I faced a similar situation, and I would like to share with you the approach we took. Initially, as an HR person, we tend to provide positive counseling to the individual. We highlighted their achievements, appreciated the ways in which they increased productivity, and once they adjusted to the environment, we offered constructive feedback from an influential perspective. We also outlined what was expected from them, considering their strengths, and encouraged them to further develop those strengths.

Additionally, you could organize a behavioral workshop to positively influence the individual on what they can achieve by changing their attitude.

One crucial point to note is that during counseling, the counselor's tone of voice should not convey any criticism, as it could have a negative impact, especially if the individual is perceived to have an attitude.

Regards,
Vipla

Hi Suki,

This is not uncommon. The employee may be egotistic for reasons he is good at work. It is not advisable to get rid of a good hand for his negative attitude towards other employees. The employee needs counseling and not reprimand. Send him to some behavioral workshop along with some of the employees with whom he has to interact for his daily job. Involve him in some other activities like the office club/office-organized sports and functions. These may bring some positive results and help him to change his attitude towards others.

Hi Suki, If I were in such a situation, I would tackle with the following steps:

Step 1 - Counseling: Probe him and try to find out the reason behind his behavior. If anything is found, then it's easy to solve. Even then if he behaves in the same way,

Step 2 - Be Assertive: Tell him that this is going to be serious and the consequences will be worse. Even then...

Step 3 - Push him to his threshold level: Load him with heavy work. Even then...

Step 4 - Punish him: Suspension / Termination. Don't be emotional but practical as HR.

"Men may come, men may go, but, thee is forever"... Keep rocking...

Regarding NEGATIVE ATTITUDE, I agree with Mr. Chum. We should handle it in a very strict way to address that type of behavior.

Mahesh Ayati

Every employee has a certain way of thinking; try to understand his way of thinking. What motive is he trying to satisfy with this behavior?

A written memo for bad behavior can convey the message that the company is conscious and taking action. Let him know that the company is serious about action, counsel him, provide help through training, and other means of improvement.

If there is no satisfactory improvement after this, ask him to resign and find a replacement. A bad person will spoil the company environment, and there are many equally or more capable candidates out there that you can hire.

Regards,
Pratap Kamble

My company has an EAP (Employee Assistance Program) system. EAP team members will counsel any employee or their immediate family members who have any problems. I believe every company can adopt this approach because a productive employee is a valuable asset for the company.

This is my suggestion.

Regards, Natarajan

You say he is a good worker and giving you results, rare to get nowadays. What do you mean by a bad background? Since when did background come into play for performance? Negative attitude, why? One reason may be insecurity, fear of losing something, or a shield to hide some other pressing problem which he is not able to express and there is no one to listen. Attitude can be changed with help if he is a worker conscious of his good work and the advantage of capitalizing on it. Need to talk to him, don't lose him for want of expertise to handle attitude. Plan for a workshop on experiential learning. Maybe we could help.

Hi Suki,

The same kind of situation arose in our company when the company recruited a Senior Accountant. Initially, in his first month of joining, he worked enthusiastically and reconciled 3 accounts of the company. However, after some time, he showed his true colors. His attitude completely changed, and he started deleting files from the system. When he was caught, he was sent to jail. When asked about the reason for his actions, he mentioned that he was not satisfied with the work assigned to him and with the company's practices.

Suki, you need to provide him with proper counseling to understand the exact reason for this change in attitude. It is possible that he is dissatisfied with some aspects of the company.

Regards,
Yasin Patel

Dear Suki,

You need to find the reason why he has a bad attitude or negative attitude towards other employees.

Maybe there is a reason - maybe he is not able to trust them, or it may be that he is a perfectionist in his work and is not able to see anyone equally dedicated and productive like him.

However, is he a leader? Is he leading a group? If that's the case, he needs to be reassured by his team members that they value his leadership.

He needs to be reassured by the management that they are happy with his work.

Try to see what's making him have that attitude. You may be able to change that in him and make his "productive and dedicated style" very contagious.

As far as background checks are concerned, please understand that people are not always terminated for their mistakes but also for the mistakes of their superiors. So you need to gauge what his current attitude appears to you. Is he a performer because he has this negative attitude and people just don't bother to turn him in the wrong (or any) direction?

As long as this attitude is not affecting the output of other people, you need not worry. But if it is, you just need to find the reason before adopting any strategy to counsel, train, or even bring that issue out to him.

Good luck!

Dear Suki,

In my view, a company means teamwork, and in that, a person can be better, but he can't be as strong as others. If a single person is injurious to a hundred, we must think about the hundred; otherwise, you will lose other good people for one guy. Better you talk to him and advise him to change his behavior. I think if he doesn't change, it may increase manpower turnover, and it will be more expensive for the company's pocket and image as well.

Regards,

Durgadas V. Gosavi

Dear Suki, I do agree with you that to deal with a challenge, you have to follow the steps because we cannot terminate instantly. It's just like, "We should first clear the mist from the screen. Even then, if you see the screen is still not clear, then replace it." For one, you cannot afford to hurt a hundred.

Hi Suki,

Dear, I think instead of reprimanding, you should approach him as a friend. Try to find out what his problems are, so that you can advise him on steps to overcome them. Only then should you consider taking stern steps. I believe you should also assign him some tasks such as organizing functions or involving him in community activities within your organization. This way, he will have more opportunities to spend time with other employees and understand them better during such occasions.

If I'm wrong, please do correct me, people! Good advice and corrections are always welcome!

Regards,
Greeshu.

What I think personally is attitude does play a vital role. Since he is a competent asset of the company and excellent enough in his approach, he can't be simply thrown out of the company. I think there must be some presentations conducted either on the job or off the job in a cool and calm place. With the help of certain illustrations and stories, you can at least very creatively pass on a hint to that person's ability. He will also get to know in an indirect form what he actually lacks and what he should change in himself.

With this approach, he will not have a bad attitude and will also get to know himself better. This technique is actually what an HR person uses, wherein they never go for arguments or violence but move with strategies and silence.

Hi Suki,

If this kind of situation arises, be strict and give a warning to the person that they will be fired if they do not improve their behavior. This approach will definitely help you.

Hi Suki,

As the employee is good at work and productive for the company, I think we need to handle the case very sensitively. The employee can easily find a better alternative job if we handle it in a disciplinary way, which will, in turn, affect the company's productivity and growth.

Hence, I feel, as suggested by Mr. Nagarajan, we should identify the areas of improvement required. HR should conduct an employee-specific training program by working closely with the Head of the Department and the employee to set a timeline (maybe a 6-month period) for the improvement results.

The Head of the Department should conduct the performance appraisal and provide feedback to HR on the results of the employee's behavior and attitude. If there is no improvement, based on the PDS score, HR may reflect the same in the payment of bonuses or merit increments (pay-for-performance system) and give one more chance by retaining the employee in service. If the behavior and attitude persist, then we need to find an alternative employee.

I hope you find this information useful.

Thank you and best regards,

Nellaiappan S. Pillai

Hi Suki,

As an HR professional, it is your duty to study human behavior. If a person shows 100% performance as expected, they become an important person for you. If there is a reason behind their misbehavior, you should speak to their close friends in the company. They might know the reason behind it.

You should counsel them. Find a good reason and commend them for any extraordinary work or special efforts that have benefited the company. Then, slowly inquire about their family background, how things are at home, and show a little concern. Convince them that since they are performing well at the office, they should feel happy and content about their family life.

Let them understand that you are there to help with any problems. This might encourage them to open up.

All the Best!

Regards,
Shraddha

Hi,

It's just not easy to change attitude through counseling. If it were possible, his previous employees would have done the same. As the saying goes, good workers are easy to find, but not individuals with a good attitude. Ultimately, other employees will suffer from destructive situations because of him.

Thanks,
Bhavana

Hi Suki,

A good worker is an asset to the organization. As per his attitude is concerned, you should first pay attention to whether he is having any ego problems with his supervisors and colleagues at the workplace and whether due recognition is given for his good work by his superiors. If not, involve him and invite his suggestions. Then his ego will be satisfied, which may lead to a change in his attitude over time. If no change occurs, then send him for training on positive behavior and personality development. If there is still no improvement, counsel him to correct his negative attitude and also explain to him the repercussions of his behavior.

Dear sir,

I read your question. According to me, it would be better to retain him than to terminate. You can conduct a counseling session for him to identify the problem within him, and you can help him.

Thank you.

With respect to all the above messages, I would also personally suggest that employees are the most important asset of any organization, especially the more potential and capable employees. They may prove worthwhile to any organization, so we should try to utilize them instead of losing them without going to the grass-root level.

Coming to this case, here the problem may be with the employee or the company. Sometimes, the company may also be responsible for certain things of which we are not aware. So, the advice is to try to find out the reasons for his negative behavior. Then take up a counseling procedure, especially by a person who can handle it well, someone who can handle the situation more precisely. The counselor should be a person who can make him realize his mistakes, make friendly relations with him instead of criticizing him. Make him understand how important he is for the organization and equally, he must also understand the extent to which the job is worthwhile to him. He should realize the importance of the job and his work. Give him at least once or twice an opportunity to prove himself before taking any decisions. Try to convince other employees and get their fullest support to overcome this situation. If necessary, provide him with some work that gives him a sort of relaxation apart from his regular and routine work, which may also lead to boredom.

Hi Everyone,

Greetings!

In this situation, I hold the view that an organization can provide training to its employees for better performance. However, once the work culture of an organization is disrupted, productivity can never be sustained. Moreover, a person's personality type takes more time to change, so it is not a good idea to risk the work culture. In the long term, after productivity, it is the work culture that defines an organization.

Regards,
Priya Baijal

If you have any problem with your immovable asset, you'll try to redress that, you won't sell it. Likewise, you can try to change his attitude because he is an employee who works efficiently for you. Sort out what makes him behave like that.

[QUOTE=Sunny, Colgate-Palmolive, Pakistan]

Dear Suki,

In my opinion, it's out of the question that a person who is negative in attitude is productive for an organization, either for the short or long term. Because attitude is everything, if his negative attitude is established and he has been warned of his attitude, then it's better to get rid of that person instead of waiting and enabling him to impact on the other positive persons with immediate effect.

As far as I believe, a company works only by being united. Unless and until that person harms the working of the team, it must not matter to anyone. But, as he is a part of an organization, he is, but obviously, going to represent the whole company. So, in this way, his behavior absolutely matters. Here, you need to explain to him like a good friend rather than considering your post because this could make him realize his mistake with peace.

Please take these comments as information; I'm not targeting this towards Employee or Employer.

1. Please find out why that employee is behaving like that in the first place. Read his/her job profile history (you being an HR person should/will have access). Maybe he/she was a great person when they started and eventually turned to be like this. Many a time I have spoken to people like them and eventually realized Management was greatly responsible in NOT recognizing their work, which ended up having a disgruntled employee. With that said, do you blame this person now? In short, find the ROOT CAUSE. Take this person into confidence, make them feel comfortable, then you will realize HOW MANY mistakes Management makes which lead to employees like him/her. I'm saying this based on past experience.

2. At times they are upset because they think they are NOT challenged based on their capability and have to work with Junior people. Believe me, NOT everybody likes to work with Junior people and train them (for whatever reason, please accept that FACT). People like them want to work in a CHALLENGING environment, see if you can bring them to that team, they will produce wonders.

3. With the above 2 points said, SET Goals for these people (this is management's Job) with reasonable expectations. Once you set the GOAL, the ball is in the employee's court to show excellence. Now if this person DOES not perform, you have all the reason and proof to cut loose this employee.

Hi Suki,

Suki, I don't have practical experience, but what I feel is that he should be properly counseled. I am sure he won't tell you anything. Better ask his co-worker whether he is suffering from any problems or if he or she feels. We have to think outside the box and consult his family to see what his problems are. We should try to rectify and solve the issue. If he still shows the same attitude, as a punishment, give him a transfer or some form of discipline. If he continues like Yasin Sir's employee's case, he could end up in jail. If he still persists, he can be terminated because it should serve as a lesson to all.

Regards,
Akhil

Attitude is more important as it is contagious in any organization. An employee with high productivity but with questionable habits is like a beautiful organ in a human body but with cancer. If it is not treated properly or removed, it will create more trouble.

I was also labeled as "He shows attitude" for simply not being a "YES MAN." Solution... I quit the company to seek greener pastures. Maybe that employee has a reason. And by the way, I don't understand "Negative attitude," if you know what I mean!

Hi Suki,

When employee is positive in work, giving good result and negative in attitude. My suggestion is to find your companies surrounding first. Problem arise due to political atmosphere in the Company. Every one want to rule junior that keep in mind. Friendly atmospheres give better result.



Problem arise and some solution.

1) May be his senior want to control him without any reason OR with little reason to show his superiority and power in the company. So he start same behavior to his junior.

2) May be he is tense due to his family problem. If its so then it is out of your control, advise him to put all out while entering the company and ask his collogue to take care during his tense period and keep matter secret.

3) But my experience says that development is 100% from company side. (May be I am wrong in your case)

4) Either Companies MD directly involve in the matter and doesn’t cope up with his way of working and afraid of his future demand. So MD start extreme control. Which leads in negative attitude of employee. Here you too not aware as a HR.

5) Person is workaholic and their collogues is not ready to complete his work demand. Then disappointment starts.

6) Call him at free office time and discuss his problem And OR problem create due to his attitude in the company, he will talk too much if he is not satisfied with any. Try to get some important point out of that discussion and note it down immediately. Come to a conclusion.

7) If MD is involve ask him to resign with in appropriate time for the sake of Company as well as his own. Because BOSS is always right see rule book.

8) Clear matter before he planned and find other Job and kick your company at serious stage.

9) If some senior is involve then put matter in management meeting to get better solution.

10) If any one continuously ruling then send written memo personally without hesitation.

11) It is my suggestion to try to avoid political atmosphere in the company.

All are good if surrounding is good.

With Warm Regards,

Deepak J Shah

Hello,

In many companies, they follow the HOT STOVE procedure, i.e., even though the employee is more productive, but because of him, other work and employees must not get affected. So, it's a suggestion that you give counseling. If the person doesn't come around, then it's fine to prepare another person for that particular designation and terminate or suspend him.

Hi Suki,

I fully agree with what Chum has said. If his behavior is directed towards a particular person or group, you may try to find the reasons behind it, as there are more chances of resolving the issue. The reasons may stem from the person himself, or on the contrary, the group or individual may be provoking him. However, if his behavior towards everybody is the same, then I think he needs serious counseling. Therefore, first try to understand him by personally having a chat with him.

If you still feel that he has not even tried to change a bit, then you can proceed with steps 2, 3, & 4 as suggested by Chum. I believe that at some point, he will realize that he needs to change for the better, and that is true.

All the best,
Bye

Hi Suki,

This is not an uncommon issue, and I believe it does happen in most organizations. Productive employees are important to the overall performance of the company, but an employee who can work, communicate, and promote teamwork plays an even more important role in the success of the company.

I agree with vipla,

1. Give positive counseling to that person and highlight the achievements, appreciating the ways he/she has increased company productivity.
2. Avoid criticism of his/her shortcomings and provide a brief overview of what is expected from him/her. Encourage him to work on his strengths and improve on his shortcomings.
3. Arrange some behavioral workshops and team-building programs as this may help improve his/her attitude and ability to work with others.
4. Set a date to review his/her progress.

If an employee's attitude can't be changed and brings more damage to the work environment, then you have to consider terminating that employee as the last step of the HR process.

Dear all,

Everyone has given good opinions and solutions.

But I am struck by thinksreeniii's remarks:

"And by the way, I don't understand "Negative attitude" if you know what I mean!!"

As I was going through the posts, I too was stumped by this question.

It is better to get the basics straight.

Dear Suki, can you explain what you mean exactly by attitude?

He "is very good at work and is productive to the company..."

How did you "see" his attitude?

Did you use any attitude-measuring tools?

When you say, "but when it comes to his background and ATTITUDE is not at all GOOD... has a NEGATIVE ATTITUDE towards other employees..."; you are linking background with attitude.

I think it signifies "your" attitude towards people who come from backgrounds that may be inferior to yours in terms of economy, location, education, etc.

Dear, I can give you the names of thousands of great personalities across the world who came from underprivileged backgrounds, beginning with Abraham Lincoln to APJ Abdul Kalam, and nobody can say their attitude was negative because of their background.

I guess what you mean is his certain "behaviours" (which are manifestations of attitude) may not have appealed to you. If you could furnish a few such instances of his behavior, members can objectively assess the situation.

Secondly, maybe you are committing some "perceptual errors" in evaluating him in your way. For example, a person who does not wish you "Good Morning" may be having a "negative attitude" according to you.

At best, I surmise that the person may have a sense of pride in his work, to an extent that it is viewed negatively by others.

Since he is very good and productive for the company, you have to do your best to retain him (members have already suggested ways like counseling, etc.).

If he is a "star performer" (according to you), then maybe he is having "starry tantrums" that you are not able to digest.

Hope you'll take the above in a "positive" spirit!!!!

Warm regards.

HR plays a more significant role in this. Keep some changes as he likes first in his work areas. Show him the faces of other people with negative attitudes who are nowhere near professional growth and create a negative attitude to work closely with him to identify what exactly he wants. Effect the changes in other department areas where he may be really needed. Make him more responsible and arrange get-togethers with his colleagues outside the work areas to help them dispel misunderstandings by attending subordinate marriages and party functions. Make him give lectures about communication skills to his team members and be part of his organization.

In essence, make him more accountable and respectable. Things will change easily. The organization needs to be flexible. It's like when our country faces rough negative attitudes with neighbors; the country doesn't just terminate the relationship but prolongs dialogues to improve through various processes. Similarly, HR shouldn't just throw out humans, but through consistent dialogues and collective participation, the negative attitude will improve.

Thank you.
T. Manick

Suki - are you there?

Kindly clarify with everyone in citehr. I assumed "background" means previous career examples and not family background ;-)

OMG LOLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Hi,

We also have one person in our company who is very emotional but a good operator (he knows all ins and outs). The problem we are facing is that he can't accept his failures. For example, if somebody tells him about his process rejection, he starts hating that person. When we counsel him, he gets irritated and begins to lower production. Additionally, he doesn't train others on the process as it is dependent on individual skills. We have heard that once his parents scolded him, and since then, he has not gone to his house for eight years.

We don't want to lose him and aim to help him change. Please suggest if anyone has a solution to this problem.

Hi Suki,

Could you explain what type of negative attitude he/she exhibits? Please provide just one example. If you can prove and show, then you can proceed. If an employee is very productive and excels at work, how... please explain.

Regards,
Rakesh Kashyap

Dear Suki,

You can define the private sector in a single word: performance. Everybody wants a performer in their team. But on what earth---
Kick him out immediately before he damages the entire system. If you have to choose one thing, in discipline or sales, go for discipline because sales come when you have belief in the system.

Sarvesh

Hi Suki,

You can retain this employee if he/she has a marked degree of self-awareness and can modify his behavior; he should not be ruled out. His/her attitude can be dealt with using the code of conduct. Also, a supportive manager will assist in changing the attitude or counseling.

Kindly assist me in developing a Human Capital Development Strategy. My company is more of a research and development in minerals. What should be the strategic issues for human capital development?

Thanks,
Ntando

Dear Suki,

Have participatory, conclusive discussions with your very good and productive hands in a soft and respectful tone, ensuring that time constraints and other disturbances do not creep up during communication. Inform of the result.

Regards,

Satyavan.

Hi Suki,

As an HR professional, one cannot afford to lose an employee who is adding to the productivity of the company. On the other hand, his/her negative attitude may be a dampener. Therefore, the best way out is to first counsel him/her and then probably arrange for the particular employee behavioral/attitudinal workshops, etc.

In a company, we need both people with good and bad attitudes; only then will we be able to understand what is good and what is bad. It is a learning experience for management on how to handle employees with a bad attitude.

According to Newton's Third Law of Motion: For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. Similarly, we have to challenge individuals with bad attitudes to improve. By encouraging them to be more negative, they may ultimately transform into positive contributors.

Great changes won't come to a company solely through having many good people. Progress comes from recognizing and addressing negative behaviors, fostering continuous improvement within the organization to drive growth.

Hi,

As an HR person, we cannot lose the employee who is productive to the company. Plan some training programs for him to change his attitude in such a way that it will help both.

Dear suki,
According to me, termination is best option. Because if any employee have negative attitude then it definitely affect attitude of other employees. We can't tolerate negativity only because of his efficiency. According to me Behavioural Training is wasting of time and money, may other employees starts changing his attitude after seen special attention to that particular employee.
We all know a sweet saying that “A Rotan Apple spoils all fresh apples in a basket"
So it’s better to throw out that Rotan apple and forget about efficient employees, world is full of good and efficient employees.
All the best
Abhishek

Sorry, I mean to say his attitude in previous companies related to career, not related to family background.

A worker cannot be called productive if he spoils the environment. As an individual, he might be prospering, but the cancerous development will kill the organization. It is high time the individual is counseled to behave and change his attitude towards his colleagues, or there can be conflicts that can never be resolved.

Let me share what I have with me.

There was a case similar to the above in my factory. My encounter was with two persons who are extremely opposite in character and output. One is a high-yielding worker with a negative attitude, and the other with a pleasing character and low productivity. I summoned both of them to my office for a talk. I told them what I have studied upon and instructed them to mutually correct the faults in their character and report to me after a month. My aspiration was; both of them will get better or both of them will get worse.

Later, I called some of their friends to my office and disclosed to them my aspirations and even said, "I never mind throwing out both." To my excitement, both of them have come out with excellent results, and nowadays they are my reliable troubleshooters in production and in workmen dealings. It is not necessary this will work everywhere, but let's try.

Dear all,

Please note, I am facing challenges at work, hence I haven't participated in the issues raised. I don't want to seem like I only have problems to discuss rather than giving my opinions on the issues raised for discussion. However, I want to thank you for all the topics raised; they are very informative and eye-opening.

Thank you.