I think my new coworker is functionally illiterate? Help!
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Anonymous
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I have no idea what's going on, but she cannot understand simple instructions that are written up in an email or verbally conveyed.
She has been with the office for six months. Her role is technical in nature, yet she has no real computer literacy. But that's not the biggest issue. I will sit down to go over something with her. She acts like she understands. I sometimes then try to ask her to verbally describe the task to me to make sure she understands, because in the past she would say she understood even when it turned out she wasn't listening or didn't understand what I was explaining. To help, I'll send her an email with a description of the work that she needs to do. People have done this for me when I've been trained and I found it helpful. However, she will usually then print off the email and bring it to me, completely confused and bewildered, not knowing how to start even though I already went through this with her. For example, she'll ask "where do i get this?" when referring to a file that I asked her to update. However, in the email I sent to her to followup on our training, there will be a HYPERLINK IN THE EMAIL saying "click this link to get the file you need to update!". It's like WTF is going on?? This has been going on for months and months. I want to help, but nothing is getting through. I've trained numerous people in the past but this is really blowing my mind. I am not the only person experiencing this issue with this particular person, but to my knowledge nothing is being done about it by her supervisor or management. For all I know, they could be trying to separate with this employee but they are still asking me to provide training. I fear that if I bring this up before my supervisor, I will seem unaccommodating or some other sort of bad thing. I think since we are gov't, they are just turning a blind eye to it and assuming that others will pick up the work that she can't do. I have been having to redo or do all her work to keep up. My workplace is pretty toxic so I'm afraid to bring this issue up. Would you recommend that I do? |
Anonymous
| Stop re-doing her work. You've created a paper trail that shows you've given her clear directions. Keep doing that. But stop saving her. Let her fail. |
Anonymous
This. It's been months now, I don't think you will be accused of being unaccommadating. When you bring this up though don't tell your supervisor that you think she is illiterate- that would be over the top. Describe how you've provided instruction, verbally and written, and it doesn't seem to be getting across and you aren't sure what else to do. This is after you've stopped redoing her work and just letting it be bad, you'll need that to prove your point. |
Anonymous
| Isn't functionally illiterate an oxymoron? |
Anonymous
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I have a lot of very severe learning disabilities. Some of this sounds familiar to me. I actually can't read. I have all the words I know memorized. I'm 40 now and have been doing the same job for 20 years so pretty okay at it, but there's still a LOT I hide from work people and a LOT of times I'm working around my brain. So it's possible.
But it's also possible she simply doesn't give a crap about doing a good job. Does she SEEM like she's trying? Does she seem stressed to not understand? |
Anonymous
| I had one like that on my team. Really nice, wanting to be helpful, but honestly, just dumb. We eventually got this person moved to a different area that involves little independent thought and decision making. |
Anonymous
| Your job is not babysitting. You tell her once then let her fall on her face. |
Anonymous
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Federal manager here.
This employee is in her probationary period. The government needs to be able to terminate her during that period if she's incompetent. You are not helping by covering that up. Please don't. |
Anonymous
+1 |
Anonymous
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Federal manager again.
I recommend that you send your supervisor an email stating "I just want to document for your records that I completed the requested training of Larla that you asked me to undertake, including the following: Widgets: November 18 Docublocks: November 4th Idiolinks: December 1 If you require further documentation, please let me know and I would be happy to provide it. Let me know if there is anything else I can do to onboard this colleague or assist our division. Larlette." |
Anonymous
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Time to change your tactics.
The next time she brings you the email, ask her nicely to point out on the email exactly what she doesn't understand. say something like, "ok, why don't you just point to the first thing on the email that you are having trouble with" Do not let her default to "all of it", if she does say "we have to start somewhere with something specific, so please point to the first thing you need clarity on". Just keep a smile on your face which btw will help naturally help you keep a happier sounding voice. Once she points out something that does not make sense to her, ask her what she thinks she is supposed to do and wait for her response. If she says IDK, pause and do not rush into respond, shuffle papers on your desk, finish an email, whatever, then calmly say "oh that - well remember we reviewed that last week a few times, I can send you the notes on that so that you have it in writing for future reference." Then turn and send her whatever notes you have and in your email make sure to reference this is an additional reminder on this topic. Your goal is to force her to start having to think for herself first even if that means she tracks down other people or other resources to assist her. |
Anonymous
+1 Send this email today, OP. |
Anonymous
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I wonder if she is deliberately trying to get others to do her work. And maybe it is such an ingrained habit, she doesn't realize she's doing it. We have a relatively new employee who seems to do that. He won't start projects on his own -- waits until you walk him through it or do it for him. One tactic that helps with him is to give him one step at a time - but make him do that step or at least attempt it on his own if he's already been given a demo or there are written instructions.
If you keep redoing her work, she'll never learn to do it right. |
Anonymous
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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. |
Anonymous
Why don't you take your own advice and stop covering up for her. Today. |