What to do with Slackers

September 01, 2005

Wouldn't it be great if all your employees worked really hard and approached the job as if they truly cared about it?

The truth is, most employees do work hard. They also demonstrate a willingness to help others, offer suggestions for improvement, and readily take on additional responsibilities, not because they have to, but because they take pride in the organization and want to see it succeed.

Unfortunately, there are a few individuals who don't. These are the slackers - the employeess who engage in a variety of non-work related activities, such as taking frequent or extended breaks, distracting coworkers by engaging them in idle conversation, spending work time playing games on the computer, exchanging jokes by e-mail, surfing the web from their computer, and just about anything else they can do to avoid having to do actual work. In fact, the only time these people are really busy, it seems, is when you need their help with something. Slackers are people who do just enough work to avoid being fired and nothing more.

These few individuals are not just inefficient. They can actually drag down productivity of the entire work unit.

It's frustrating because you know that these individuals could put forth a lot more effort than they do if they only wanted to. The trouble is, they don't appear to have any desire to do so.

When you ask a slacker why a particular assignment wasn't completed or why it's taking so long, you'll almost always get a well-rehearsed excuse. For example, "The computer was down." Or, "So-and-so didn't get the information to me in time so I couldn't do it." Never mind that they made no attempt to overcome the obstacle, they don't even bother to tell you about it unless you ask. And then, there's my own personal favorite excuse: "I didn't realize you wanted it done right away."

Why do they do it? And how do you get a slacker to work harder?

Here's the thing. People resort to this type of behavior because: 1) they've lost interest in the job; and 2) because they can get away with it. In fact, some people have been avoiding work for years and have become quite adept at it. To make matters worse, they may have had previous managers who gave up and allowed them to get away with this type of behavior. They're hoping you will, too.

So, what you have to do is reverse the situation. You have to: 1) find a way to rekindle their interest in the work - at least enough to generate even a modest increase in work output; and 2) you have to stop letting them get away with an unacceptable level of work output. That is, you have to hold them accountable for putting forth at least a reasonable effort.

How do you do that? Here are four steps to turning this type of situation around.

Step 1. Establish clear standards and expectations.

First, make sure employee knows what you expect. Think about how the employee's work output can be best measured. For example, number of calls or contacts per day, number of reports filed per week or number of lines of programming code written. Then attach some numbers to these measures of output.

In fact you can consider establishing two sets of numbers: a) a minimum number below which is absolutely unacceptable; and b)a high-end goal, beyond which would represent exceptional output, worthy of special recognition. In other words, give the employee a specific goal or target to work toward.

Have a talk with the employee and discuss your expectations. For example, "I need you to make a minimum of 20 inspections per week." This removes one of the slacker's most frequently used excuse: "I didn't know that's what you wanted." It also provides the basis for a give-and-take discussion. For instance, if the employee cites one or more reasons why she can't meet the target, you can assess the validity of their arguments and adjust your expectations accordingly.

The important thing is that your expectations should be clear, specific, and measurable. That way, there can be no misunderstanding about what is expected. And if possible, they should be in writing, too, so there is no "misunderstanding" later on about what you expected.

2. Assign meaningful work.

Find a way to make the job interesting for the employee. This may seem unrealistic, considering that the slacker has already demonstrated a lack of interest in the job. But, think about it. Slackers rarely start out that way. Most people start a new jobwith great enthusiasm. They turn into slackers over time, longafter the novelty and excitement of the job has worn off.

So, what you have to do is to find a way to rekindle that interestby tapping into that part of the job the person found appealing inthe first place. Think about what they enjoy doing. Focus on that part of the job and look for ways to emphasize it. Of course, if the person no longer has any of the same interests they had, it may be time for them to move on.

3. Reward employees who put forth extra effort.

Ever hear someone make the following statement? "We don't get paid extra to work harder." You may think that a person shouldn't need to be rewarded for simply doing the job he or she was hired to do. But, it doesn't matter. The fact is, we all like to be recognized for our accomplishments - big and small. Your job is to provide that added incentive.

Rewards don't have to take the form of monetary bonuses, pay increases, and the like. A simple "Thank you for doing a good job" can work wonders. Also, consider rewards that reflect personal interests. For example, a coupon for a free car wash for someone who really loves his car. Small, frequent rewards, given out immediately upon completion of a task have been found to be more effective than, say one big reward at the end of the year.

4. Hold employees accountable.

Don't let slackers off the hook. After establishing specific targets and goals, be sure to monitor their performance and follow up. Provide continuous feedback on their progress. Give them verbal and written progress reports, if appropriate. Organize contests, if you have to - anything that lets people know exactly how well (or poorly) they are performing against a known standard. If slackers consistently fail to meet minimum expectations without a valid reason, they should be asked to leave. You owe it to the organization, the employee's coworkers, and to yourself.

For more tips on how to deal with slackers, consult Expert Supervisor. Be sure to look at the topic on Low Work Output. In the Strategies section, you'll find ten (10) different strategies for solving this type of problem.

To learn more about how to get your own account, with immediate access to Expert Supervisor, including a description of the many features and benefits an annual subscription has to offer you, click on this link: http://www.ExpertSupervisor.com/subscribe_info.aspx

Stephen Foster, Ph.D
Expert Supervisor, LLC
1493 Market Street
Tallahassee, FL 32312
(850) 893-5699

E-mail me at: Steve.Foster@ExpertSupervisor.com