Human resource managers have the responsibility of overseeing needy employees at work. However, the tricky part is doing it without interfering in their career development. You might be tempted to distance yourself from the high-maintenance employees. This short term tactic might hurt needy employees in the long run. Try these tips to manage needy employees rather than avoiding the issue and hoping it will pass.
Help Them Set Goals
Human resource managers should learn how to capture issues early. To motivate and change employees’ habits, they should always deliver feedback. This allows you to identify problems early and solve them. This can also act as a platform to discuss ways of communicating effectively.
Train Them to Become More Independent
Sometimes offering guidance to employees all the time makes them dependent. Delegate work you’ve tackled in the past to encourage autonomy. You can give freedom to employees by providing training if needed and clear boundaries by assigning tasks. To help employees build confidence, allow them to learn from mistakes and make their own choices.
Be a More Active Listener
To understand your employees’ needs better, focus on their demands rather than dismissing them. Not all employees with problems ask for help. Due to a lack of direction, the employees consistently demanding behavior can become a management issue. Avoid making quick judgments by finding out more about the direct report. This process helps evaluate your performance. This will also give you a chance of working and improving any miscommunication.
Exercise Endurance
After adjusting the management style, human resource managers should exercise patience as a needy employee can’t change their behavior overnight. For this to be successful, both you and the employee have to put time and effort. Although companies have different personalities, good human resource managers should cater to every employee. Needy employees require management that is customized and proactive. Before jumping to conclusions, the management should be able to listen to employee concerns and frequently provide feedback.
Handling a needy employee is not an easy task. The aforementioned tips will help you towards your goal of making the dependent person make it on their own.