Dealing with difficult employee

[Anonymous]

Started a new job last year in which I supervise a group of about 35 people, mostly women. One of them -- call her Valerie -- is mid 50s, less well-educated than most, and in a support staff position. She can be nice enough and competent enough, but people complain constantly that she is brusque to the point of rudeness and so difficult to deal with that most people just ignore her (which means more work for the other support staff, to whom they go instead). She has, accordingly to staff who have complained to me, occasionally said things like, "what are you, an idiot?" when someone can't figure out how to do something. And when asked to do something she does not want to do, she tends to just say, "Oh I'm too busy."

At the moment everyone gripes about her behind her back, but no one ever seems to confront her directly. And usually people don't come to me directly: it's more like, Person A comes to me and says, "Person B told me that Valerie was really mean to Person C."
Valerie's direct supervisor, who reports to me, says she has informally counseled Valerie about being nice and Valerie always promises to be nicer.

We work in a place where it is nearly impossible to get rid of poor performers: literally no one is ever fired, due to institutional HR rules.

Any advice about how to handle this? Part of me want to read Valerie the riot act and tell her everyone thinks she rude and she needs to cut it out; another part of me wants to tell my other staff to act like grown ups and just deal with her themselves: it's not like she is sexually harassing anyone or stealing, she's just kind of bitchy.

[Anonymous]

Since you're a manager, it's your role to to directly and clearly speak to "Valerie" about her actions. As an employee, I find nothing less motivating than managers ignoring jerks (or lazy coasters) in the workplace. Perhaps the only worse thing is when those people become managers, and they do because no one ever addressed their issues before they were promoted. Perhaps this Valerie is in an admin role but in that case all your other admins are miserable and that brings down productivity for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since you're a manager, it's your role to to directly and clearly speak to "Valerie" about her actions. As an employee, I find nothing less motivating than managers ignoring jerks (or lazy coasters) in the workplace. Perhaps the only worse thing is when those people become managers, and they do because no one ever addressed their issues before they were promoted. Perhaps this Valerie is in an admin role but in that case all your other admins are miserable and that brings down productivity for everyone.

+1

Bring Valerie into your office and say I notice that you did XYZ (a concrete incident). (You may have to resort I heard you did--not as good, but she may not pull this stuff in front of you.) Wait for her to respond. You can take it from there depending on how she responds. End with agreement on steps that will help her improve.

[Anonymous]

That woman might be surrounded by idiots who would love to unload the work on her. Time for you to get some idea of what is goiing on or leave the woman alone. She might be coasting.

[Anonymous]

You need to document, in writing, every single inappropriate incident that occurs with Valerie. Send her a written document describing the incident and title the document in a "progressive discipline" fashion. That means you start with a letter of caution, move to a warning, then a reprimand. Keep reprimanding her. Send every single one of these memoranda to HR.

Most bosses won't document these incidents and HR hears complaints but has no idea how grave the problem is. IF HR gets 12 of these memoranda from you about Valerie, they are going to move.

[Anonymous]

You should coach your direct report, Valerie's supervisor, about how to document this issue and some strategies on how to deal with Valerie. Maybe she needs training or mediation or something. It doesn't sound like her direct supervisor has done enough. I would not call Valerie in yourself until you've exhausted all options by working with her supervisor. If staff come to you about an incident with Valerie, ask them if they've reported this to their director supervisor and if not, encourage them to do so. I think you'd be causing more problems (of a different kind) by dealing with this yourself instead of working through your direct report.

[Anonymous]

Minority?

[Anonymous]

First and foremost, just be more visible to both Valerie and her supervisor. Walk by their desks and offices more often, great them, ask how their day and work is going.

[Anonymous]

Can you shuffle her around to a position where she's not dealing with people as much?