Bad Employee Workarounds

Bad employees are toxic and sometimes it takes management a while to figure this out, let’s face it sometimes management never figures it out. But you can’t let them destroy your career, so here are some workarounds.

1. The Debbie Downers

You need people who aren’t afraid to voice criticism and give good feedback, but if the negativity seems like an obsession then you could have a problem. If they only see the bad in everything that’s being done, then it’s likely their whole outlook on the company has soured and it’s going to be a challenge to really engage with them.

How Do you Work with Them

Really you just have to not let their toxic outlook seep into you. Also, whenever possible try to get them to be proactive instead of just reacting negatively. Point them to things they can do to avoid these outcomes they look at so negatively.

2. The Drama Queens

These people work ceaselessly to show you how their struggles are far greater than yours. Their workloads are dizzyingly altitudinous compared to everyone else. They just work too hard but there’s nothing anyone can do because no one is good enough to do what they do. Your office likely has one of these types, and the damage they do in de-energizing the team often goes unnoticed.

How Do you Work with Them

The best thing to do is ignore these people when they self-aggrandize and pray your manager can see through it. Don’t add fuel to their fires by engaging and competing in how much greater your struggles are. Also, don’t be afraid to give some honest feedback. For example, “If you’re feeling overwhelmed and overworked, you should really talk to your manager.” And when you say it, make sure to stay calm and act rationally, so that you’re not adding to the drama.

3. The Victims

Victims blame others for their circumstances. Have you ever heard someone say the boss was out to get him or her? How about the person who blamed a missed deadline on the guys in accounting who “didn’t get the report to me on time?”

Co-workers with a victim syndrome constantly complain about everything bad that’s happening in their lives. What’s worse, they don’t believe they have any ownership or control of the situation, so in their eyes, everything is being done to them. They often suspect there’s some huge universal conspiracy that is firmly rooted against their success. And they love to talk about it.

How Do you Work with Them

Once again, a little spin can help resolve this one. Ask them what they could have done to avoid the situation. For example, “That’s too bad. What could you have done differently to make sure the accounting report was in your hands on time?” Empower them and make them own it. Or at least try.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.

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