The Great Business

Problem employees can cause business owners and managers no end of headaches. Here are three ways for you to identify employees who could potentially cause your business problems:

1. Employees who do not have a strong focus on business results

The best employees a business can have, are those who conduct themselves as though the business were one which they own. Such employees find the most high priority tasks, and complete them in an exemplary manner. Employees who are disengaged, or who do just the bare minimum, will never push the business’ results from unprofitable to profitable, let alone highly profitable. Your best bet is to avoid hiring these employees from the start, or to ease out those who may have joined your business.

2. Employees who clash with others

Employees who can not get along with others, whether they are co-workers, suppliers, or (worst of all) customers are a serious danger to your business. Most businesses are challenging enough without the extra dose of drama these kinds of employees can add, and sometimes the only answer is to help them exit your firm as soon as possible. Certainly, everyone may have a bad day from time-to-time, but if your business is starting to resemble a war zone (including pulling other people into taking sides in the conflict), it is best to cut your losses, and just keep the top performers who can work well with others.

3. Employees who engage in other patterns which are self-destructive

This is by far the most serious problem to face. Some employees will set themselves up for failure or disaster, by repeatedly taking risks where the potential upside benefits clearly do not outweigh the downside risks. Furthermore, these employees are probably not focused on doing the things which need to be done for your business to become a success. This is a devastating one-two combo, and you should be aware of such employees’ typical characteristics, so you avoid hiring them, or are prepared to help them find a different employer if they can not turn themselves around relatively quickly.

So, when you avoid hiring or retaining employees who do not focus on business results, who fight with others, and those who are on a self-destructive track, your business will be much better for it over the long-term. If these employees are part of your critical operations, you should start now to find some replacements who can handle their job functions, so you can move them out at the earliest opportunity.