2 Ways Interim Managers Handle Difficult Employees

Interim managers strive to help every employee fit in the organization before considering letting them go.

Having a difficult employee in the office can be disturbing. Not only do they perform badly, but they also negatively impact the work environment. While the immediate thought that comes to mind is to fire them, it is not always a feasible option.

Anytime you hire somebody, you hire them for a reason – be it their talent, skill or qualification. If they’re not delivering according to your expectations, it’s not because they aren’t capable, it’s because something is causing it. Bad colleagues, an unfit job, personal problems or restrictive regulations could instead be the reason why.

Interim managers identify what went wrong

The best way to help somebody improve is by finding out the cause behind their decline. Managers collect data from performance review reports, meetings, feedback from peers and acute observations of their own. Altogether they create a well-rounded profile of the employee over time which they can analyze.

Sometimes the reason can be obvious straightaway, while at other times it takes some digging below the surface to get somewhere. Once the root cause is identified, interim managers can focus on addressing it.

Interim managers give constructive feedback

A good leader doesn’t just tell you the good and bad of your performance. They additionally give constructive criticism that helps you improve and perform better. Apart from words of advice, they also work hard to provide the support and resources that employee will need to improve production.

If for example, the reason why somebody isn’t delivering their goals is a skill and knowledge gap, a good interim manager will research training opportunities to help address that gap. It is far cheaper to train your own employees versus hiring somebody new from the outside.

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