I think my new coworker is functionally illiterate? Help!

[Anonymous]

So acting like her boss. Try to distance yourself from her

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this co-worker a member of a protected class?

Everyone is a member of a protected class.

[Anonymous]

Functional tip: can you do a Loom or Zoom screen record with a video?

Real advice:
You need to bring this up with your supervisor, because it’s taking up more of your time. I know you were worried about seeing unaccomodating, but you have to. Here’s how I would frame it:

“I wanted to get your advice on how to better train Alice. As you know, I was asked to train her on how to sketch designs and apply the first base layer of paint since she is our new teapot painter.

I blocked off time to explain the sketching process, the different kinds of paints, and paintbrushes we use in the office. That took me about an hour each time to walk her through it. When I asked her if she understood, she said she did!

However, the next time she had to sketch a rhino, she said she didn’t know where to start. So I wrote up the steps with screenshots, in case she was more of a visual learner, so she could have something to refer to. <show emails>

When I sent those to her, however, she told me she didn’t know which end of the pencil to use to sketch. I gave her a picture of the pencil we all use in the office and pointed out the end with the point, but she keeps coming back to ask me for help, and I’m not sure what more I can do.

At this point, Alice comes to me every two days, and I have to spend 30 minutes with her every time. Last week, I went over steps 1-3 or how to paint a base coat three times, using the guide I made, because she didn’t know where to start every time. To her credit, she submits assignments back promptly, but this is what she submits! As you can see, there are gaps in pattern recognition and color theory that were not what I was originally asked to train her on. Editing what she submits takes me another three hours to do.

As a result of this, I’ve had less time the past few weeks to do X, Y, Z of my own as well as I normally do, missed A, and I haven’t had time to plan the big community teapot party.

I’ve collaborated with Wakeen, Cecile, and Cecelia successfully before and trained Mareena, but I’m out of ideas. How much more support should I be providing Alice, and what ideas do you have on how to better get her up to speed?”

[Anonymous]

That sounds draining

[Anonymous]

I was the OP.

The employee is gone.

[Anonymous]

The above approach is a good idea on getting through to your manager.

I had a junior colleague not quite this bad, but whose work had so many mistakes that it was useless.

I would say "use information in A and B to create C based template D." And I would get template D back with some information from A entered incorrectly. I had her assist the manager directly a few times; he quickly got the idea...

I am all for giving everyone opportunities, but it is simply unfair to some people to place them in jobs where they must feel so inadequate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was the OP.

The employee is gone.

Quit or fired?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was the OP.

The employee is gone.

Quit or fired?

Op when this zombie thread got revived I was so eager to hear what happened! Can you update us? I was mostly expecting you would have quit.

[Anonymous]

Are you one of those people who sends multi paragraph emails, where the subject doesnt really include an overview of whats in the email. Then, buried in paragraph 7, line 90, Act X, verse 3, you put a link? Can you do 2 sentence paragraphs? Separate email for each topic?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was the OP.

The employee is gone.

Details, please!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't end up like me, OP. I've been working on a team with someone like this for 6 years. This person cannot even complete simple tasks on her own. My team leader prefers to avoid confrontation so makes us cover for her. It adds so much work to our own plates, but team leader believes it will reflect poorly on our team if we don't cover for this person.

What makes it worse is that team leader will be retiring in a few years and I will be expected to fill her shoes. That puts me in a bad position because I won't stand for enabling co-worker but it will become clear that I've helped cover it up for years but I haven't been in a position to "out" her. It will appear like we didn't do a good job of training her, even though she actually has more years in the field than I do so it will reflect worse on me than it does on her.

You need to start documenting and stop covering it up.

This happens a lot when people are promoted from within. Chances are everyone already knows and they are also enabling her. When you are her supervisor, you can take appropriate steps to put her on a PIP, terminate her, whatever your organization does.

I was in the same situation and I did it. I didn't do it the first year because I didn't fully realize how awful she was -- what I and others had been enabling was only the tip of the iceberg. Turned out in addition to terrible work, she did almost no work at all. It took me a while to realize that and even longer to confirm it. She was very good at lying or having sudden computer issues. I eventually put it all together. Started the termination process early in the third year I was her supervisor, and that prompted her to resign. I am SO much happier now that I am doing my own work and not doing/redoing hers, plus we hired a replacement who actually works and that eases the load on everyone else.

[Anonymous]

Op was she fired?
Your descriptions remind me of someone with FAS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is this co-worker a member of a protected class?

Everyone is a member of a protected class.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op was she fired?
Your descriptions remind me of someone with FAS.

I once worked with an employee that was similar to what OP describes, and my theory at the time was that it was FAS. The person had the FAS appearance characteristics. My office hired the person because they came from another federal agency with a glowing recommendation. Unfortunately, that is often how federal offices get rid of people like this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was the OP.

The employee is gone.

How did it happen??? Congrats!