“The way you handle your bad employees determines how long your good employees will stay.”
I was consulting one of my clients, a medical service company and I heard the lead nurse utter this phrase. I asked her to repeat it because I thought she perfectly captured (as nurses typically do) the true effect of hanging on to bad apples in our organizations. Too often our focus remains on the bad employee and not those around him or her. This is an important point.
The rank and file will know who is pulling their weight and who is not, who is living out the true meaning of organizational culture and values, and who is not. When the leadership fails to see this and act, the results can be damaging. A study by the HR Research Institute (pre-COVID-19) indicated that only 47% of employees say the employee experience in their organization was positive. Lack of belonging and inspiration in the workplace are leading causes according to the study. Failure to handle bad employees is another.
Leaders retain bad employees because they fear the gap that will exist when they are gone. Or they actually like the poor performing person and are afraid to fire them. I try to keep it simple and emotionless.
Hold up the vision, values, and culture of the organization:
Is the employee aligned with what is defined there?
Is the employee exceptional or at least working hard to be an exceptional teammate?
Of course, it is our duty to work with our people and bring their performance up to standard. But when they do not meet us halfway or just cannot perform to the level their position and the organization demands, help them find another opportunity elsewhere. I’ve seen several instances where, following the removal of a bad apple, morale drastically improved.
Consider bad employees from a wider perspective, especially from the perspective of co-workers. Adjust your loyalty appropriately. Stay true to culture, values, and exceptionalism. Let this guide how you handle bad employees.
Make it Personal!
Rob
