Difficult employee that no manager wants

oh_really

It's part of a managers remit to get the best out of employees, step up and do the job you wanted and are paid for, let your managers deal with the other individual.

marlot

I've managed a few of these situations.
I'd sit down with your boss and HR and agree a plan of action.  Best if you have a proposal ready.
You may well find that nothing is recorded on his HR record, and nobody has had the straight conversation with him.  He may not know he is failing.
Don't assume that managing him out is the only option.  I'll always be grateful to the manager who told me I was being an idiot when I was in my 20s.
Once you've done this with an employee once, it becomes easier.

marlot

Just to add...
I found that once I had a reputation for being straight with people, performance of other people in my team also improved - lots of this person's peers are probably also demotivated by him.
But make sure that HR and your boss know what you're doing - just in case they also shy away from difficult decisions.

getmore4less

Ella_fella said:

MovingForwards said:

Split the time, one week with you, another with the other person. One, or both, will have to speak with this longstanding employee and encourage him to undertake training and whatever else to improve their promotion prospects for when another role pops up.

Have suggested that but the Supervisor on the opposite shift won't do that - my suggestion was doing 2 weeks of days then 2 weeks of night to split his time but relies on his opposite doing the same which he won't. He's actually starting an ILM Level 5 course next week. 

Splitting the time is a bad idea.

The problem person need to be dealt with by one line of management in a consistent way to resolve the issues.

If you feel this is above your paygrade get help from above and HR

getmore4less

 A longstanding employee whom was covering this role was deemed as being not at the right level when the job was advertised internally and was also turned down for another similar role so dropped down to a Supervisors job. 
.........
for the past number of weeks he's been on internal training courses so has been flip flopping between shifts. These courses end in a couple of weeks time 

 He's actually starting an ILM Level 5 course next week. 

Good managers would be trying to help and support this person gain the skills and education to step up to the roll.

2 new managers trying to fob him  off on each other will not be helping with  motivation.

Good chance to step up and show what you are made of, play it right and sell it to your higher ups could put you ahead of the rest when the next promotions are being offered.  

bouicca21

Dealing with a difficult employee like this is fine if HR have your back so that if necessary you can manage him out on some sort of performance plan.  Of course it may not be necessary - you may be worrying about nothing.

YBR

getmore4less said:

 A longstanding employee whom was covering this role was deemed as being not at the right level when the job was advertised internally and was also turned down for another similar role so dropped down to a Supervisors job. 
.........
for the past number of weeks he's been on internal training courses so has been flip flopping between shifts. These courses end in a couple of weeks time 

 He's actually starting an ILM Level 5 course next week. 

Good managers would be trying to help and support this person gain the skills and education to step up to the roll.  

It sounds like this person is already getting training. The OP said "he was toxic, very demotivated about being turned down for the roles, unhelpful etc", so that's attitude/character, which I don't think training or education are likely to change.
If he's like this because he resents being turned down for roles, then it's harming himself primarily. It's silly and immature, but oh so common. 
Until he stops behaving like an Eeyore, and becomes more aware of the effect he's having on others, his prospects are limited.  

getmore4less

YBR said:

getmore4less said:

 A longstanding employee whom was covering this role was deemed as being not at the right level when the job was advertised internally and was also turned down for another similar role so dropped down to a Supervisors job. 
.........
for the past number of weeks he's been on internal training courses so has been flip flopping between shifts. These courses end in a couple of weeks time 

 He's actually starting an ILM Level 5 course next week. 

Good managers would be trying to help and support this person gain the skills and education to step up to the roll.  

It sounds like this person is already getting training. The OP said "he was toxic, very demotivated about being turned down for the roles, unhelpful etc", so that's attitude/character, which I don't think training or education are likely to change.
If he's like this because he resents being turned down for roles, then it's harming himself primarily. It's silly and immature, but oh so common. 
Until he stops behaving like an Eeyore, and becomes more aware of the effect he's having on others, his prospects are limited. 

You would feel like that if 2 new managers came in and started squabbling over which shift you would be on because neither wants you.

They should be supporting them not undermining them.
A good manager can fix this.

 I would also be concerned about my manager if they have said what they were told....
 Neither of us want the person on our shift, I politely said that he is aligned to your shift but the answer I got back was our boss said it's upto us to decide which shift he goes on.

I would be checking just in case the other person made it up and has  been told something different.
certainly look like this other shift manager has taken a lead to get shot of the person. 
OP is now in now probably in catch up mode.

Ella_fella

getmore4less said:

YBR said:

getmore4less said:

 A longstanding employee whom was covering this role was deemed as being not at the right level when the job was advertised internally and was also turned down for another similar role so dropped down to a Supervisors job. 
.........
for the past number of weeks he's been on internal training courses so has been flip flopping between shifts. These courses end in a couple of weeks time 

 He's actually starting an ILM Level 5 course next week. 

Good managers would be trying to help and support this person gain the skills and education to step up to the roll.  

It sounds like this person is already getting training. The OP said "he was toxic, very demotivated about being turned down for the roles, unhelpful etc", so that's attitude/character, which I don't think training or education are likely to change.
If he's like this because he resents being turned down for roles, then it's harming himself primarily. It's silly and immature, but oh so common. 
Until he stops behaving like an Eeyore, and becomes more aware of the effect he's having on others, his prospects are limited. 

You would feel like that if 2 new managers came in and started squabbling over which shift you would be on because neither wants you.

They should be supporting them not undermining them.
A good manager can fix this.

 I would also be concerned about my manager if they have said what they were told....
 Neither of us want the person on our shift, I politely said that he is aligned to your shift but the answer I got back was our boss said it's upto us to decide which shift he goes on.

I would be checking just in case the other person made it up and has  been told something different.
certainly look like this other shift manager has taken a lead to get shot of the person. 
OP is now in now probably in catch up mode.

I have to profess I do not recall any conversation about its up to use to decide what shift he goes on, unfortunately seeing as I have no contact with my manager for a whole week apart from sporadic emails when I am a week of Nights this conversation may or may not have taken place as a preemptive strike by my comanager.
In any case it's patently obvious that he doesn't want him anywhere his shift which is the more concerning item to me as he is happy to fob off a problem person onto me so they can have an easy ride and happy for me to deal with it whilst they sit back relaxing.

yksi

In terms of the impasse: your own manager should be dealing with this. Your co-worker refusing to deal with the guy is not acceptable manager behaviour, as you correctly noted. As an aside, any possibility you can just arrange the rota the way you like it and ask your manager to approve and implement it? Your co-worker might not like it but if the manager is the one who makes it happen, it'll be tough luck for them.

In terms of what to do if you end up getting stuck with the jerk, even after you speak with your own manager: Manage the behaviours, not the human.

Is your own manager aware of this person's attitude and history? Do you have actual powers to go down the disciplinary route, and if necessary, the dismissal route? Will you have the support of your manager as you clamp down on this?

Tackle and document every misstep that this person makes. Loop your own manager in on the situation periodically. This person might well be the wrong fit for the role, but he's now in it and is expected to perform adequately. You can't get rid of a problem employee "because the guy is a jerk" but you might well be able to if they do not meet their job expectations. Repeated infringements or warnings for bad attitude, uncooperative behaviour, etc, force an employee into a crossroads: they either start behaving well enough to keep their job, or they keep misbehaving and get sacked. If (or "when") the jerk crosses the line of one too many times, make it your manager's problem by presenting the evidence on a plate and noting that they need to be removed.