Lazy staff and what to do about them
Discussion
I don't seem to have much luck in this department as I had to dismiss an employee for very similar reasons and replaced them with the employee below. I'm paying them 22k.
The employee is smart and capable but taking me for a fool, to cut a long story short, months ago output was down, had a chat, output back up however output is now back down again and I'm being met with a wall of resistance when I bring up the fact output is down.
I'm hearing things like "This is going to take me all day" when I know I could do it quicker myself. So anyway, not happy with what I'm hearing, I set up some observations and it turns out said person is spending 30% of their time browsing facebook, news sites, etc or simply idle (away from PC for an hour at a time- not lunch).
When I'm ringing saying please crack on with XYZ, I need it ASAP, I can later see said person browsing facebook etc.
I spend a lot of time out of the office, and this is when I see it at it's worst.
Yesterday, they came in at 9am and did no work for 2 hours. I called at 11am asking why something hadn't been done and was met with a wall of excuses about how busy they were with other tasks I'd given them the day before. I checked the PC and they pottered around doing personal stuff all morning, no work at all.
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
What is wrong with these people? How boring are their lives that they would rather drag their day out being bored doing nothing??
I pay well but I'm finding it really hard to employ honest, reliable and trustworthy people who can just get on with the job and progress their career, honestly I'm either really bad at recruiting, or most people out there are just lazy tw*ts.
How are you guys faring with recruitment, do you have similar issues?
The employee is smart and capable but taking me for a fool, to cut a long story short, months ago output was down, had a chat, output back up however output is now back down again and I'm being met with a wall of resistance when I bring up the fact output is down.
I'm hearing things like "This is going to take me all day" when I know I could do it quicker myself. So anyway, not happy with what I'm hearing, I set up some observations and it turns out said person is spending 30% of their time browsing facebook, news sites, etc or simply idle (away from PC for an hour at a time- not lunch).
When I'm ringing saying please crack on with XYZ, I need it ASAP, I can later see said person browsing facebook etc.
I spend a lot of time out of the office, and this is when I see it at it's worst.
Yesterday, they came in at 9am and did no work for 2 hours. I called at 11am asking why something hadn't been done and was met with a wall of excuses about how busy they were with other tasks I'd given them the day before. I checked the PC and they pottered around doing personal stuff all morning, no work at all.
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
What is wrong with these people? How boring are their lives that they would rather drag their day out being bored doing nothing??
I pay well but I'm finding it really hard to employ honest, reliable and trustworthy people who can just get on with the job and progress their career, honestly I'm either really bad at recruiting, or most people out there are just lazy tw*ts.
How are you guys faring with recruitment, do you have similar issues?
cheekymeerkat said:
I'm paying them 22k.
...
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
I pay well....
No you don't (on the face of it) - What is the job role and what have they graduated in out of interest? and are they expected to add value or just do what you tell them. ...
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
I pay well....
In my experience, the graduates I have hired are extremely self-motivated & expected to get stuck in from day 1. As a result, they deliver some awesome work.
That said, we pay a fair bit more than 22K and have fairly high standards of selection. Our grads are generally Maths / Computing grads and the role is mostly software / product development based.
Doofus, I'd disagree to a point.
OP you are letting them away with it, why should they change their ways?
Get them in, no coffee or biscuits and point out your observations as you have listed on here. Tell them this is not acceptable and their standards have fallen way below what you expect from a [insert job title] and that it will no longer be tolerated.
From now on, they will be on weekly performance reviews and if there isn't a marked improvement they will be heading for a disciplinary and potential dismissal.
OP you are letting them away with it, why should they change their ways?
Get them in, no coffee or biscuits and point out your observations as you have listed on here. Tell them this is not acceptable and their standards have fallen way below what you expect from a [insert job title] and that it will no longer be tolerated.
From now on, they will be on weekly performance reviews and if there isn't a marked improvement they will be heading for a disciplinary and potential dismissal.
I'm no expert but I think you need to tell them that you can see what they are doing all day and it has to stop.
If they know you are able to see and monitor what they are doing all day then they know they can't lie, as of now they think they can get away with it because its not being monitored.
How can you prove this happens, what methods are you using to check up on them.
Does the employee get the same amount of money / opportunity regardless of what effort they put in ?
When output is up, is there additional reward ?
Do you need a graduate for the role ?
Do you manage them entirely by task, or do they have freedom to get to the desired result in their own way.
How much autonomy do they have, what are the consequences of a below expectation performance.
Do they understand your expectations
Do you have a clear policy on internet useage
Sorry lots of questions, but if you want to motivate a team to perform to a high level then they need to be engaged in the work and see a clear benefit. That is often different to just being paid....
fat80b said:
No you don't (on the face of it) - What is the job role and what have they graduated in out of interest? and are they expected to add value or just do what you tell them.
In my experience, the graduates I have hired are extremely self-motivated & expected to get stuck in from day 1. As a result, they deliver some awesome work.
That said, we pay a fair bit more than 22K and have fairly high standards of selection. Our grads are generally Maths / Computing grads and the role is mostly software / product development based.
How can you say he doesn't pay well when you haven't a clue what the job is? Because all graduates are worth more than £22k whatever they do, whether full or part time?In my experience, the graduates I have hired are extremely self-motivated & expected to get stuck in from day 1. As a result, they deliver some awesome work.
That said, we pay a fair bit more than 22K and have fairly high standards of selection. Our grads are generally Maths / Computing grads and the role is mostly software / product development based.
fat80b said:
cheekymeerkat said:
I'm paying them 22k.
...
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
I pay well....
No you don't (on the face of it) - What is the job role and what have they graduated in out of interest? and are they expected to add value or just do what you tell them. ...
I would expect this from a junior or apprentice, not a graduate professional.
I pay well....
In my experience, the graduates I have hired are extremely self-motivated & expected to get stuck in from day 1. As a result, they deliver some awesome work.
That said, we pay a fair bit more than 22K and have fairly high standards of selection. Our grads are generally Maths / Computing grads and the role is mostly software / product development based.
£22k is peanuts. Also, you're asking for an answer on a forum where a lot of people are on it during the day at work 
Tyre Smoke said:
How can you say he doesn't pay well when you haven't a clue what the job is? Because all graduates are worth more than £22k whatever they do, whether full or part time?
I didn't if you choose to read carefully, - I said "on the face of it" - it being - 22k, graduate professional, no information as to the the job role.... and then asked for clarification of role and qualifications providing a different example .We now learn that it is not really considered a graduate role and the work is probably fairly repetitive with little reason to be self-motivated.
Gargamel said:
Does the employee get the same amount of money / opportunity regardless of what effort they put in ?
When output is up, is there additional reward ?
Do you need a graduate for the role ?
Do you manage them entirely by task, or do they have freedom to get to the desired result in their own way.
How much autonomy do they have, what are the consequences of a below expectation performance.
Do they understand your expectations
Do you have a clear policy on internet useage
Same pay regardless, no incentives, the role doesn't require a graduate.When output is up, is there additional reward ?
Do you need a graduate for the role ?
Do you manage them entirely by task, or do they have freedom to get to the desired result in their own way.
How much autonomy do they have, what are the consequences of a below expectation performance.
Do they understand your expectations
Do you have a clear policy on internet useage
I have a mixture of spoon feeding and autonomy when it comes to tasks, I've struggled to get this person to work independently or to have their own 'work compass' as they can't prioritise for sh*t and end up going about things in a roundabout way.
They certainly understand my expectations, reading the comments here I think it's obvious to me now that I'm an idiot and have let this go on for too long and I need a kick up the arse, I've been too casual and easy going when I should be more... Alan Sugar.
As it's just the two of us in a small office, I try not to make things awkward, like "what have you been doing all day?" My management style needs improving that's for sure.
ReallyReallyGood said:
Why don't you block such websites from your work internet access? Facebook, Youtube, email websites, are not necessary for most people's day to day job.
I know it's treating a symptom not a cause, but it's a non-issue for those who want to be there to work and not doss about.
I did consider this, however I thought this would cause them to pull out their phone instead, and then I wouldn't know anything.I know it's treating a symptom not a cause, but it's a non-issue for those who want to be there to work and not doss about.
My soft approach would be -
- Find out why the employee is demotivated, put some reward structure in place for hitting deadlines and targets.
- Educate the employee on how you would do things to be more productive.
- Give them a progression structure so they want to work hard for you to progress their career.
My hard approach -
- Disciplinary for misleading you on workload and poor performance
- block non essential work websites during work hours
- Make your employees aware you have the ability to monitor what they are doing & working on.
- Find out why the employee is demotivated, put some reward structure in place for hitting deadlines and targets.
- Educate the employee on how you would do things to be more productive.
- Give them a progression structure so they want to work hard for you to progress their career.
My hard approach -
- Disciplinary for misleading you on workload and poor performance
- block non essential work websites during work hours
- Make your employees aware you have the ability to monitor what they are doing & working on.
Tyre Smoke said:
Doofus, I'd disagree to a point.
OP you are letting them away with it, why should they change their ways?
Get them in, no coffee or biscuits and point out your observations as you have listed on here. Tell them this is not acceptable and their standards have fallen way below what you expect from a [insert job title] and that it will no longer be tolerated.
From now on, they will be on weekly performance reviews and if there isn't a marked improvement they will be heading for a disciplinary and potential dismissal.
Completely this. It is the only language that shall be understood, and you are doing things by the letter, avoiding a risk of them crying fowl. OP you are letting them away with it, why should they change their ways?
Get them in, no coffee or biscuits and point out your observations as you have listed on here. Tell them this is not acceptable and their standards have fallen way below what you expect from a [insert job title] and that it will no longer be tolerated.
From now on, they will be on weekly performance reviews and if there isn't a marked improvement they will be heading for a disciplinary and potential dismissal.
Ironic asking this question on a forum where nearly everybody on here is wasting their working day browsing and posting on this site 
Luckily I can meet all the management's expectations and still get away spending too much time on here, Facebook, etc. Always had a good appraisal.
To me it sound like your graduate is in a job that's possibly a bit beneath them and therefore not stimulated enough hence resorting to social media for some relief. A quiet word may help.
Luckily I can meet all the management's expectations and still get away spending too much time on here, Facebook, etc.
Always had a good appraisal. To me it sound like your graduate is in a job that's possibly a bit beneath them and therefore not stimulated enough hence resorting to social media for some relief. A quiet word may help.
cheekymeerkat said:
I need it ASAP, I can later see said person browsing facebook etc.
I spend a lot of time out of the office, and this is when I see it at it's worst.
Yesterday, they came in at 9am and did no work for 2 hours. I called at 11am asking why something hadn't been done and was met with a wall of excuses about how busy they were with other tasks I'd given them the day before. I checked the PC and they pottered around doing personal stuff all morning, no work at all.
What is wrong with these people? How boring are their lives that they would rather drag their day out being bored doing nothing??
or most people out there are just lazy tw*ts.
That describes most of the people on here 9 - 5 if you think about it. I spend a lot of time out of the office, and this is when I see it at it's worst.
Yesterday, they came in at 9am and did no work for 2 hours. I called at 11am asking why something hadn't been done and was met with a wall of excuses about how busy they were with other tasks I'd given them the day before. I checked the PC and they pottered around doing personal stuff all morning, no work at all.
What is wrong with these people? How boring are their lives that they would rather drag their day out being bored doing nothing??
or most people out there are just lazy tw*ts.
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