Tell me about a time when you had to deal with a difficult employee and how you handled the situation.

Tackling a Challenging Employee Situation

During my tenure as a manager, I encountered a difficult employee who constantly missed deadlines and displayed a negative attitude towards their work. Instead of immediately resorting to disciplinary action, I decided to have a one-on-one meeting with the employee to understand the root cause of their behavior.

By establishing open communication, I discovered that the employee was overloaded with tasks and feeling overwhelmed. Together, we created a plan to prioritize their workload and set realistic deadlines. I also provided additional training and support to help improve their skills and confidence.

Through consistent feedback and guidance, the employee started to show improvement in their performance and attitude. Eventually, the employee became a valuable team member who actively contributed to achieving our goals.

Handling difficult employees requires patience, empathy, and proactive communication to address underlying issues and foster positive change within the team.