During the early days of being in the HR profession, you might not be able to imagine that there are certain personalities of employees that are quite disturbing in the work environment. Most employers are seeking talents fitting the company’s culture, having the ability to work as a team and also, with amicable personalities. HR Professionals must agree that the true nature of a person appears only after a period working in the company.
Some of them are too egocentric in nature and are difficult to work with, especially in a team. Being self-centered drives them to act selfishly without paying much attention to others. Those ambitious ones yearn to be noticed by employers for advancement often makes them act beyond the norms such as taking credits of other colleagues’ achievements and tries to be the centre of attention.
The overtly self-centered personality also lead them to resist in listening to others’ feedback, inputs or criticisms. When such happens, immediate actions should be taken by HR Managers and employers alike to reprimand the egomaniac employees, returning them on the right track.
Egocentric personality, if left unattended, will disturb the existing workforce, especially those who work in a company that accentuate the power of teamwork and employees as a united family. This kind of personality can be a thorn that creates frustration in the workplace. As they are difficult to work with, the team suffers, failing to achieve the targets and goals of company’s expectations. Egocentric employees create a toxic workplace that significantly reduces the productivity and performance at work.
See also: Dealing with Arrogant Employees: How to Manage Them
Delivering a direct warning or reprimanding egocentric employees is not considered as most useful, for it frequently falls on deaf ears. Instead, there are some actions HR Managers can take to deal with the egocentric employees as follow:
Observation. Once receiving a report about egocentric employees, start to do some preliminary observations. Paying attention to the circumstances and the people involved helps to recognise whether egocentric employees are establishing their unfavourable attitudes to all or specific people. Taking notes is also a great idea, especially when HR Manager wants to pile up some evidence.
Appropriate Feedback. After observing and documenting the details, it is then time to invite the egocentric employee for a private discussion. Instead of being judgemental, hold an open discussion regarding their behaviour and how they are affecting the overall performance could be an effective way to repair the situation. Ask the employees to respond and let them propose solutions to amend and improve the issue. Supervision is also needed to ensure they are accountable for their remedy actions.
Workaround. Changing someone’s personality is tough. It is also possible to initiate the idea of keeping such employees busy with their tasks and minimise the interactions with other colleagues. Of course, at the same time, to slowly build back the trust and relationship amongst the peers.
Discipline. Being disciplined requires more patience and objectivity. When an open discussion has already been executed, and the employee agrees to improve, HR Managers should observe for a period of time. If there are no changes to the employee’s behaviour, then a verbal warning should be addressed to the employee. If come to the worse situation where chances are given and still no changes at all, it is time to bring it up to the management and dealt out appropriate actions. For example, terminating the employee.
Having such egocentric employees are common in a workplace, especially in today’s society. However, with proper management and tactical treatment, HR Managers and employers can help this group of people to improve and be a valuable part of the workforce.
Next read: How to Deal with a Slack Off Employee?
