Toxic employees

[Valerie Heimerich]

I am looking for resources/books/materials on managing "toxic" call center employees. You know, those employees that perform the job tasks reasonably well, but cause problems by doing things such as gossiping, manipulating, back-stabbing, etc. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Val

[ghorrocks]

there is a great book dicipline without punishment that may be of some assistance.

[hermach]

We also have some employees who are great performers but who have a very negative attitude. I'd also appreciate any tips on how to deal with such an employee.

[Ginny Ellis]

From experience, the toxic employee can cause major upsets in a department, from the negative impact to the recruitment of other department members. This employee can also recruit the sympathy of management over your head. Be very careful when counseling this employee. Definitely recruit the assistance of your HR department, and DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT. This should not turn into a campaign; however, do not turn your back on this person. Depending on the ability of this person, you could very well be the target. And above all, do not fall into their manipulation. It could come in the form consuming your time to complaining about everything and everyone. This person will "toot" his/her own horn to ANYONE who will listen - including your boss. This person will also make it a point of bad mouthing the other department members (including you) while selling his/her own talents. The objective? Self promotion. Good luck. And even if this person is transferred to a different department, the toxicity will not.

[mdbabb]

"Toxic" employees who are high performers often have an underlying cause for their toxicity - perhaps they feel that their consistent efforts are not recognized or fully appreciated. 4 years ago, I was in a 24x7 Helpdesk and Monitoring lead role, in which I developed a very negative attitude when I realized that I was being tasked with developing process and training employees - employees who were paid sometimes 5 pay grades higher that I was but had less experience in handling the subject matter.

Or - he/she could just be a nasty person.

The cure for me was to move to another department in a role for which I was treated with respect by my co-workers for my knowledge and allowed to develop ideas and implement them. In fact, I received a national company award for efforts and then moved back into Call Centers and Call Center Technology in a management role. I also apologized to those people I verbally offended and build outstanding professional relationships which continue to this day.

I guess my point is this - before you write off top performers as "toxic", find out the true reason for their attitude - the reason behind the negativity. It could be that the negativty has a root cause due to feelings of non-recognition, personal issues, etc. Or - he/she really could be a nasty person. Document, document, document for either scenario - you may find a diamond in the rough or simply a piece of coal.

[Ginny Ellis]

I wouldn't consider you toxic - taken advantage of is more like it. With good reason, employees can very well be justificatified for unhappiness and negative attitude. Underemployment can be very frustrating (been there, done that). I consider a toxic employee one that infects others with negativity, while positioning themselves for advancement.

[Ginny Ellis]

Justicatified: which is a little less than justification, but more than justified!

[Karsten Fuhrmann]

Hi all,

in my opinion, it's not the question whether to name them "toxic" or something else ... and you probably don't need a book. The key is to find out what made them the way they are.

Possibly you find out that the immediate superior is the real cause.

[Ginny Ellis]

If the problem is work related, you can certainly respond to the situation. If it's personal, unless you're a trained professional, the solution is beyond your ability to correct. Remember, your first obligation is to the company - the company controls the checkbook, so you need to balance what's good for the employee, the department and what's good for the company. Not an easy task at times. Keep your HR department in the loop, and invite HR to any counseling session.

[petern]

hello everybody,

i do not subscribe to the name "toxic employee".i think the right name should have been,demoralized .the origin of the toxicity should be investigated and possible solutions proposed.for every toxic employee,i feel there is a reason.the line manager should take a personal interest in the affairs of this employee and i strongly believe that at the end of the day,he would definitely convert to a passionate employee.

the toxicity could be as a result of low morale,self esteem,remuneration,and above all,non recognition.all this should be investigated.