We saw this article on the KSBI-TV site.
Office Ghouls Don’t Strike Only On Halloween
Survey Shows Managers Have Their Hands Full Resolving Staff Personality Conflicts
MENLO PARK, Calif. — Ghosts and goblins who traditionally make their appearance on October 31 may have office counterparts whose behaviors bedevil their managers throughout the year.
Executives polled in a recent survey say that almost a fifth (18 percent) of managers’ time — or more than seven hours each week — is spent sorting out personality conflicts among staff members.
The national poll includes responses from 150 senior executives — including those from human resources, finance and marketing departments — with the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. It was conducted by an independent research firm and developed by Accountemps, the world’s first and largest specialized staffing service for temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals.
Executives were asked, “What percentage of management time is wasted resolving staff personality conflicts?” The mean response was 18 percent. Accountemps also conducted surveys asking executives the same question in 1996, 1991 and 1986. Results for this year’s survey were unchanged from the 1996 poll (18 percent) but were up from 13 percent in 1991 and 9 percent in 1986.
While some personality conflicts are serious in nature, even small disagreements can cause friction, according to Accountemps. Managers can reduce office disharmony by being aware of employees with habits that disrupt productivity and nipping problems in the bud, advised Accountemps.
Here are some common year-round workplace goblins and tips on managing them:
— The Laughing Hyena. This personality type finds everything funny — especially her own jokes. She’s not aware that her voice carries and can be heard many cubicles away. Encourage employees to try to keep their voices down during conversations and find a conference room for meetings where speakerphones are used.
— The Ghost Employee. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as a staff member you can never find. Whether out on official business or not, some people seem perpetually away from the office and turn up only rarely for meetings and group events. These ghostlike characters may not realize they have this reputation — and are certainly not prone to correcting it — unless managers regularly remind the entire staff of the importance of being accessible.
— The Witch’s Brewer. It’s hard for people to concentrate on their work when they’re overcome by the smell of someone’s microwave popcorn or reheated dinner. You don’t need to single out offenders, but mention in team meetings that it’s inconsiderate for staff to eat especially pungent foods at their desks.
— The Office Spook. This type relishes scaring coworkers — especially new ones — about the hardships of working at your business. “If you think we’ve had it tough so far, just wait ’til the spring season,” he may be heard to say. Painting the boss as a fire-breathing ogre and spreading other tales of woe are this person’s specialty. The Office Spook may be someone you have to approach individually to turn around his pessimism.
Corra knows at least a few people that can fit into the category of annoying office workers. There are the four types listed and then some. There are the ones who have their inner demons, those with excess baggage, those in search of a perfect world and who will hardly put up with your menial imperfections. There are those who believe everyone desires them, and those who believe that everyone is out to get them. And then there are the ones who can always find a way to get under your skin.
We all know these people. The first thing we wonder is what made them like that. The second thing, is how did they ever get their job? Good questions. But the first requires and analyst while the second requires a sentient Human Resource management team that can weed them out before they make trouble. And trouble they will make, as evidenced by the time managers spend just settling disputes.
The wrong employees, disgruntled ones, incompetent ones, thieves and paranoids are bad for your staff’s morale. They will lower production output and keep most of your workers in a bad mood. Most employees just hope someone will wake up and make the trouble makers disappear. Easier said than done, once they are in your working environment.
The best thing you can do is to weed them out before they get the job. That’s why it pays to run background checks. Employment Screening won’t tell you everything but it will show criminal and financial transgressions and possibly substance and domestic abuse. You will discover early if someone is guilty of sex crimes and is on the sexual offenders’ registry. By reading the behavior patterns as well as the actual records, there is much to find out about a candidate, before you give him a job.
So, as Corra says, check them out before you hire.
