Help wanted re dealing with work

welshbookworm

Hi any advice would be very welcome.
I am an apprentice at the moment in a small retail establishment. I started as general dogsbody and am now regularly (at least once a week) Acting Shop Manager. (no pay increase, but promise of good references when my contract finishes), which I'm happy with.
My problem is one of the apprentices does not pull her weight, she says she understands what I've asked her to do and when I check I realize she is not doing what I asked or she does it wrong. The tasks I ask her to do are not difficult or complicated (tidy the rails to the shop standard, fill the washing machine, wash stock that has got grubby etc). She spends a lot of time staring into space.
Has anyone got any tips on how to phrase things so I can get her to do the work without being rude or having to stand over her and supervise her every minute of the work day please as she is making a decent job a nightmare.
I do understand that as a manager I will have to deal with people who are harder to work with than others and I can work with the 30 or so others in the business, but she is impossible.
I don't want to keep running to my line manager because
1) I feel that I should try and develop some strategies of my own
2) If I complain about her again she might lose her job and I am not confident of my skills as a manager to want that on my conscience.
Many many thanks

getmore4less

More training rather than supervision/watching over the shoulder.

Have her work along side someone else, one of the better at the job people out of the 30, can act as mentor to help out.


What is the official process for job assesment of trainees?

welshbookworm

Thank you
The official process is monthly reviews by the line manager with a form filled in by the employee.
She is also meant to have a mentor from outside the company but if hers is as invisible as mine, its a bit of a chocolate teapot.

Savvy_Sue

it would be worth finding out if other managers have the same problem. I once had a very slow learner on an apprenticeship: I thought it was me but when she was moved to another manger it was clear it wasn't!

Oldernotwiser

Do you think it's a problem with ability or attitude?

welshbookworm

Two other mangers have commented on her and one other apprentice has commented that the girl 'was doing her box in' which stunned me because the apprentice copes with everything! I did recommend that the apprentice who was finding her difficult talked to the line manager at the first possible chance.
I don't know whether it is lack of ability or an attitude problem as she has not improved in the month or so that she has been with us (if anything, she has got worse). She says she understands when she is given instructions but then wanders around half doing what she was asked or staring out the shop window. She appears to be colour blind and unable to remember where she put things less than ten minutes after she put them down. She is incapable of using the till which is quite an old one and straight forward to use with all the buttons clearly labeled.
I have to work with her on my own this week and I have to have some strategies in place to cope.
Many many thanks for listening and helping, as it prevents me running to my line manager and looking like a moaner.

Sambucus_Nigra

Look into Hershey and Blanchard's Situational Leadership - there are 4 styles of management depending on the ability/attitude issue as mentioned by ONW.

I'd suggest she is low on both to be honest, so instructions need to be basic and simple and tick box standard.

And, if you need to, talk to the other managers about how you approach this together so that you all get what you want out of it.

Seems that whoever did the recruitment might need a call to find out how she came across at interview.

LittleVoice

welshbookworm wrote: »

I don't know whether it is lack of ability or an attitude problem as she has not improved in the month or so that she has been with us (if anything, she has got worse). She says she understands when she is given instructions but then wanders around half doing what she was asked or staring out the shop window. She appears to be colour blind and unable to remember where she put things less than ten minutes after she put them down. She is incapable of using the till which is quite an old one and straight forward to use with all the buttons clearly labeled.

Do you check that she does understand? So, if you ask her to tidy rails to the shop's standard, do you then ask her what she is going to do and what the standard is that she has to work to? She needs to be able to explain what she is going to do, not just say the easy thing of "yes, I understand".

welshbookworm

Thank you littlevoice, I'll try that.

Savvy_Sue

I'd definitely flag your concerns to your LM at an early stage, if you also say how you are trying to work round them it will look +ve IMO, plus it gives them a chance to suggest others.

by the sound of it, it's not just you having problems, so not your responsibility if she does not get to end of apprenticeship.

AnonymousForObviousReason

Sorry long post. If you get this person productive there is no better feeling, especially when others may have written them off.

One common issue I've found with some (young) apprentices is that you have to teach them not just how to do a job but also what is actually expected of them in a workplace.

Below is how I'd personally approach it, it may not be suitable for you and it's only advice as there isn't a single correct way to tackle this.

Firstly you need to talk to her at some stage, go some place private or for a coffee, in the middle of the shop floor is a bad place. You really want to find out about her, you don't want to criticise her or make her feel bad - she's an employee your managing, you're aiming to be friendly but not friends.

Ask how she's finding the job, what she likes, what she doesn't. Find what she liked in schools, enquire about what she wants to do after the placement. Talk about previous jobs she may have had and also how her journey in to work and college is. This can help you discover what the issues may be.

If you don't get a clear idea of what the problem is, broach that you think she's distracted sometimes and is everything okay (to be honest if this is down to personal issues it's possibly a lot to burden on OP).

Deal with what you find out if you can, pass it on or advise her to seek help with what you can't. It may be nothing but low ability and/or motivation and be prepared to get nothing but grunts and shrugs in response, where you learn nothing.

For specific problems you mentioned try the below.

She says she understands when she is given instructions but then wanders around half doing what she was asked or staring out the shop window.

You need to break down the above into the component basic parts then build upon them.

• Only give her one task at a time (not the whole job).
• Try to make the task in your line of site so you can keep an eye on her, help if she looks like she's struggling or lost focus.
• Explain the task fully - even the obvious bits - showing her an example.
• Agree a time scale of how long it will take - initially be lenient and go with their timings unless they are outrageous.
• Tell her to see you once the job is done and not to do anything else, if a customer approaches say that she's to get someone else to help the customer.
• For the first few tasks do check what's been done, until you have confidence.
• Finally do praise what's been done - there must be something.

If she's not back by the agreed time find her and see what the hold up was. If she's still working on the task, try to observe her to see what's taking so long and what improvements could be made, then make these suggestions explaining why it's quicker.

If they are just looking out of the window, ask if they are okay. Then state that they said they'd have been finished by now and can they hurry up. If possible stand their till they've been done, prodding (verbally not literally) them when they are distracted.

So rather than a job instruction of "Please tidy that rail, sorting by colour out by size".

First could be: "This rail here, can you move all the reds to one side".
Next would be: "Sort the Reds into size order, starting biggest first"
If all going well: "Sort the other colours together then into size order"

If they struggle with a task get them to do a similar task again.

She appears to be colour blind and unable to remember where she put things less than ten minutes after she put them down.

Colour blind is a little awkward but just ask. You could say something like, "Sorry to ask I thought someone here was colour blind is it you or someone else?". If you don't want them to ask get them to sort a colour you think they can't split and see what happens. If they are ensure they know to check the label for that colour.

Forgetting things will be cut down with the simplification of tasks. Or get them to put things back in a particular place.

She is incapable of using the till which is quite an old one and straight forward to use with all the buttons clearly labelled.

This kind of thing get her to write a guide for using the till. Let her know it would be great for her coursework. If possible and they have the skills, get them to do it on a computer and to include photographs.

Best of luck and remember your manager is there to support you, you can go for advice saying what you've done and what would they suggest.