In a company or organization there are many different types of profiles, all are fit and good while the rapport between them is positive for the achievement of the objectives of the company and for the work environment itself. But everything is not always so beautiful, unfortunately there are many toxic employees that can quickly ruin the good working environment that has been tried and maintained for a long time. They tend to be people who spread a lot of negativity to other people, and although some are good at doing their job, others do not do it or let it do it. So try to detect them quickly and put a solution to the matter if you do not want to pass bill.
There are very typical toxic employee profiles that are easy to detect. Here we describe some regulars, surely more than one will sound …
The “whiner”: This is a worker who all seems wrong but does not provide solutions. He is always tired, something hurts him, he thinks that his work is not very valued, that he charges little, his hours do not go by and the day gets very long, he does not stop blowing, he complains about the schedule, the time, he is sleepy … Whoever is by his side and must endure it, one of two, or he becomes like him or wants to kill him every day.
The one that “is never my fault”: It is a person profile that shows little companionship and too much pride. He always blames others for his mistakes, his only defense is to raise his voice and show himself defensively when he is accused of some mistake.
The “know-it-all”: He is always aware of all the conversations of others around him, even though they are not his concern. When a problem is detected in the company, he already knew it for some time … But they are people who never provide solutions.
The one who tries the minimum: They are people who limit themselves to working their hours and do their work at a minimum, almost insufficient level. They avoid all kinds of responsibilities, never contribute ideas, have no interest or motivation to advance professionally or desire improvement. They always remain in your comfort zone.
The “gossip”: Is the specialist in extending all the rumors in the office, even if they go beyond the truth, with malice, facing colleagues and creating a bad work environment.
The “egomaniac”: He is the typical worker who loves to attribute the merits of other colleagues. In addition always tries to show the weaknesses and errors of others to underestimate their peers. He wants and needs to pretend more of what he is and what he does.
How to avoid toxic employees in the selection of personnel?
We can never know the personality of a person or how it will be within our company 100% before hiring, but there are some actions that can help us know a little more of them before “put them at home”.
In Etalentum we carry out personality tests to all the candidates before moving on to the interview phase, this helps us to determine the most outstanding competences of the candidates; if they are responsible, decisive, honest, flexible, extroverted, authoritarian, creative … And even a set of 22 terms.
Another option to learn more about candidates is to ask for references in other companies where they have worked. We must also take into account if the profile fits with the ethics, morals and values of the company. Establishing a trial period is also advisable.
How to handle a toxic employee if he is already in your company?
If even having taken all these measures detected that you have a toxic worker in your organization, you have several options before taking drastic measures.
Give him a chance to correct, talk to him to determine the cause of the toxicity and know if it can be revoked. Assign tasks for which you must be fully responsible and be able to follow up. If it is convenient, change it from department. If it still does not improve, evaluate the option to dismiss him.