Four Ways To Get Hired When You Have No Relevant Experience For The Job You Want

Say you want to change careers and enter a new field, how do you get hired for a job for which you do not have relevant experience? The blunt truth is that you always must have experience related to the job you want because employers don’t hire for potential . However, this experience need not come in the form of paid, full-time, on-the-job experience. Employers do prefer job candidates who have that kind of traditional experience — i.e., people who have done the exact same job before (and ideally at a competitor!). But that is not the only experience that employers value. You can demonstrate relevant experience for a job you want, even if you have never worked in that field, in four ways:

Volunteer experience

Theresa, a client of mine moved from an operations role in financial services to a community outreach role in public education due in part to her volunteer work with education organizations. Flexjobs, a job site specializing in flexible work opportunities, featured a career change story on Greg, who went from administration at a movie and video laboratory to Executive Director at a Habitat for Humanity chapter. An amateur carpenter, Greg volunteered for Habitat before moving into a part-time construction manager role and then finally the ED role. Volunteering expands your skill base and your network, and you demonstrate a commitment to your new field. Volunteering also provides a platform for you to get tangible results that you can showcase to prospective employers.


Project experience

You may not even have to look outside your current job to get some hands-on experience. In addition to volunteering outside, Theresa got some valuable education-related experience by initiating and then overseeing a mentoring/ professional development program for the women’s affinity group at her bank. Affinity groups, also known as employee resource groups, are a great way to gain experience outside your normal scope of work. By getting involved with your company’s affinity groups, you will meet people in different functions and levels, including senior executives. If your company doesn’t have affinity groups, you can start one, or you can look at professional associations in your community related to your new target field.

Academic experience

You do not have to get a formal graduate degree to make a career change. But any learning that you do — including certifications or self-study — provides tangible proof to prospective employers of your genuine interest in a field. Academic experience also gives you skills and expertise, and if it requires group projects or assignments, it provides some hands-on experience. Your professors and classmates also add to your network, and your school may know of potential opportunities.


Deep, curated expertise

We all know at least one person who maintains deep expertise in a field complete unrelated to their job — the baseball savant who memorizes player stats and historical trivia but doesn’t work anywhere in or around the MLB, or the fashion-forward friend with a great sense of style who doesn’t work anywhere in or around fashion. Yet, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine that given the right opportunity, they could talk their way into a job in baseball or fashion because they know that much. Hone and curate expertise in your target field. The more you know, the more credible you are as a candidate . You will be able to intelligently discuss the relevant trends and issues with prospective employers in your field. You will develop an informed point of view. Employers will see you as a peer because you speak their language.

If you’re genuinely interested in an industry or functional role, you will have experience with it, even if it’s from passion projects, book knowledge from a classroom, or pro bono experience as a volunteer or member of an affinity group or professional association. You will not have to convince employers of your potential because you will have proven your potential in the actions you have already taken. You will also prove to yourself that you’re serious about this new field — sometimes an industry or role only seems interesting but once you get hands-on it loses its luster. Getting relevant experience now benefits you and your next employer.

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5 Ways To Improve Employee Development At Your Company

There are a seemingly infinite number of initiatives that can lead to success at your company. You can pull levers on product development, QA, sales, marketing, customer success…etc… but prioritizing what will have the greatest impact is tough. It’s no wonder that employee development often ends up at the bottom of a very long list.

Leaders are constrained by time and are often biased towards short to medium term growth. This is especially true at startups, where we anxiously look ahead to the end of the runway. Can we really trade tomorrow’s ROI goals for benefits that we will reap next quarter or next year?

But that is the wrong lense through which to view employee development. Your people are your company. They want to feel that their managers genuinely care and are committed to supporting their professional advancement and even their personal growth. Millennials in particular desire support, coaching, and paths to advancement.

Employee development is a long-term initiative, but it also leads to short-term benefits like increased loyalty and improved performance and engagement. Let’s look at 5 ways to improve development at your company:

1) Professional Training

Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way.

Depending on the role, formal employee training may be required to ensure competency and even excellence. Create a knowledge-base of critical information and best practices to pass on to new1 hires as you grow your team. This will be time-consuming at first, but will pay off in the long run.

For many roles above entry-level, training manuals are as obsolete as time-clocks. When you  hire experienced candidates, they will put their existing skills and knowledge to work. At first you will mainly have to teach them the particulars of your offering and acclimate them to your company culture. If your culture is healthy and other employees believe in your product or service, this will happen almost organically through conversations and regular interactions.

As time goes on, you can augment their knowledge and abilities with business books, seminars, and access to e-learning on topics from project management to demand generation. By simply reading one or two online articles per week, employees can stay up-to-date with marketplace trends and new practices, strategies, and tactics that others have found successful.

2) Coaching & Mentoring

According to this piece in Harvard Business Review, managers today are overburdened and “no longer pass-on knowledge, skills, and insights through coaching and mentoring. Organizations need to support and incentivize managers to perform this work.”

Coaching may seem intimidating at first, especially for managers that have little to no experience. But today’s employees demand more than just telling them what to do. To ease into coaching, start by asking some simple questions every week:

– Are there any obstacles you are facing, and can I help?

– What’s an action you can take next week to improve your overall performance?

– What would you like to learn that could help you in your role?

When company leaders are intentional about having the right conversations regularly take place, employees can self-reflect on their accomplishments, and managers can support them in achieving their true potential.

3) Cross-Departmental Training

I like to think of my business as an ecosystem. In nature, all of the different species of plants and animals are interdependent. They ultimately create a harmonious balance in the system by constantly making corrections. For example, a shortage of vegetation during drought creates competition in prey species. This in-turn creates greater competition among predators and their numbers decline as well. A new balance is formed where the healthiest individuals of every species can thrive.

In business ecosystems, equilibrium does not occur as naturally. Management must guide each of their teams to improve the overall health of the company. Take as an example how Customer Success (CS) impacts product development initiatives and vice-versa. Customers demand a new feature and CS passes that information to the product team. When the new feature is released, CS will likely2 have to answer customer questions about best practices with the feature.

You can encourage cross-departmental training and have a developer review a customer email or sit in on a call with support. Members of your CS team can join a scrum meeting or stand-up with the development team. No one is likely to make a career shift, but they can each see the impact of their efforts more clearly. What they learn can also inform the fine details of dev’s work on the product, or CS’s conversations with customers.

4) Develop “Soft-skills”

It’s unfortunate that these vital skills have been de-emphasized in corporate environments. Even the name “soft skills” makes them seem relatively unnecessary. Dan Goleman’s framework of emotional intelligence at work is just as important as the intellectual know-how required to perform a specific task. Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill all play a vital role in effective leadership and execution at all levels of the organization.

Try bringing in an expert to teach your team how to read body-language or practice non-violent communication. This may not seem as important a skill as learning to code or creating a pivot table, but it goes a long way towards improving communication and cohesion between employees. When the team is in harmony, work gets done more efficiently and with greater ease.

5) Personal development

Your employees don’t just exist in a professional capacity to serve your organization. They are whole human beings comprised of physical, intellectual and emotional experiences. For them to evolve both personally and professionally, employee development must be holistic:

– Emotional balance

Ask questions like, “How do you feel about your work lately? Are you struggling with anything?” This meets our basic needs to be seen, heard, acknowledged, and validated – needs that go unmet in many work environments. A supportive manager who is skilled at listening and staying present to employee challenges can help raise them out of a tough emotional space.

– Intellectual growth

Books and seminars don’t just have to be about business. You can provide continuing education around personal finance or fostering healthy relationships. When you have occasion to reward an employee for stellar performance, sponsor their attendance at a class that will further their personal goals and hobbies.

– Physical health

In accordance with our core value of cultivating health and vitality, every employee is provided a gym membership. We have also offered classes in many disciplines that contribute to the physical health of employees, from Qigong to breathing techniques. An easy and inexpensive way to develop employees’ physical health is to stock your office with healthy food options.

When people are given the tools to do their jobs well and training to advance in their careers, they feel supported and happy. Not only are they likely to stay longer, but they will also perform better and contribute to overall company growth. And your reputation for stellar employee development might just encourage the best and brightest candidates to join your team.

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7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction

Employee attitudes typically reflect the moral of the company. In areas of customer service and sales, happy employees are extremely important because they represent the company to the public. Satisfaction, however, is not linked solely to compensation. Sure, a raise or benefits will probably improve employee contentment, at least temporarily, but small, inexpensive changes can have a long-term impact.

Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh's book Delivering Happiness suggests that employers should follow the science of happiness. The book stresses the importance of happy employees. Since the publication of this New York Times Best Seller, Hsieh has expanded his message from to a bus tour to an entire movement.

On her happiness project blog, Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, identifies seven areas to improve happiness in the workplace. While employees can tweak their habits to improve happiness, employers can also make small changes to the seven categories. A little bit of effort can lead to happy, efficient, and loyal employees.

7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Give Employees More Control 

"Happiness is affected by [employee's] sense of control over their lives," says Rubin.

Employers should look for ways to give employees more control over their schedules, environment, and/or work habits. For instance, employers could offer alternative work schedules such as flextime or telecommuting. Today's employees have demanding schedules outside of work, and many workers appreciate a boss who considers work-life balance. Because every person's obligations outside of work are different, customized schedules are a great way to improve employee satisfaction.

Employers should also encourage employees to customize their workstations. This could include décor and/or equipment. This not only gives employees control over their work environments, but it can ease personal barriers such as back pain or eyestrain. In addition, studies show that certain colors or décor can improve happiness. Employees will be able to create a place they enjoy working in rather than being stuck in a bland office cubicle.

Another way to give employees a sense of control is to create employee-driven competitions such as sales competitions. These activities put employees in control of their success. Each employee can set personal goals, and they will feel a sense of accomplishment rather than obligation.

Dig Deeper: How To Implement a Four-Day Workweek


7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Ease Commuting Stress

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 86.5% of workers over the age of 16 drive to work, whether carpooling or driving alone.

"Bad commutes are a major source of unhappiness. People feel frustrated, powerless, and stressed," states Rubin.

Employers should consider ways to decrease commuting stress. For instance, employers could stagger work times to avoid heavy traffic. Review beginning and ending times and determine if the specific times or the amount of people arriving at each time can be adjusted. In addition, review late arrival policies. If employees are severely reprimanded for arriving late, they will be much more stressed during a bad commute and will arrive at the office miserable.

Another possibility is to offer telecommuting options. This eliminates the necessity of commuting and allows employees to work where they are most comfortable. Telecommuting also has a variety of benefits for the employer such as reduced costs.

Dig Deeper: Telecommuting By Numbers


7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Stop Wasting Time

Tight deadlines are another major sources of stress for many employees. Employers can ease this stress by freeing up more time. For instance, employers can make meetings shorter and more efficient. Consider tricks that sound silly but are actually effective such as having a meeting with no chairs. People will be more likely to stick to the necessary agenda when they have to stand the entire meeting.

Whenever possible, substitute conference calls for meetings. To reduce unnecessary chitchat, make calls before lunchtime or at the end of the day. People will want to cut to the chase, so they can go to lunch or get home.

Another idea is to create organizational systems that improve efficiency. Clutter and confusion are major time zappers. Organized offices and systems ease stress, save time, and increase productivity.

Dig Deeper: Time Management Tips


7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Encourage Social Connections

Socialization is a key component of happiness. "Interacting with others gives people a boost in mood – surprisingly, this is true even for introverts," writes Rubin.

Employers should find ways to encourage social relations. Consider an office arrangement that fosters communication. Arrange workstations so employees can see each other and talk.

Employers can also encourage office celebrations for holidays and birthdays. These celebrations do not need to be expensive. It can be as simple as asking everyone to bring in a covered dish. Even when there is no reason to celebrate, encourage employees to eat lunch together. Provide a comfortable eating area.

Socialization is not limited to office hours. Encourage out of office socialization such as volunteer programs. This gives employees a change to develop relationships outside of the office while promoting the company in a positive way. Community service is a great way to build a positive reputation, and it is a happiness booster for employees.

"Those who work to further causes they value tend to be happier and healthier, experience fewer aches and pains, and even live longer," says Rubin.

Dig Deeper: How to Start a Volunteer Program


7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Promote Good Health

Poor health is not only damaging to employees, it is detrimental to businesses. "Corporations pay a heavy cost for stress-related illnesses, such as hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, and substance abuse," says Rubin.

"Up to 90% of all doctor visits in the United States are for stress-related illnesses," according to Dr. Mehet Oz of the Dr. Oz Show.

Chronic stress has a variety of negative side effects such as weight gain, lower immune system, increased risk of disease, and fatigue. Employers should encourage employees to reduce stress levels and improve their overall health.

The first step is to educate employees on health topics. Provide reading materials or offer seminars. People can't make positive changes if they don't know what to change.

Once employees know about health topics such as stress, exercising, and healthy eating, start a health related competition such as the Biggest Loser. This offers employees motivation and a support system. If the entire office is involved, employees will be more likely to accomplish their goals.

To help employees make positive lifestyle changes, have a kitchen equipped with a refrigerator and microwave to prepare healthy meals. Research shows that preparing food is healthier than eating out. Also, encourage breaks throughout the day. Even small amounts of exercise throughout the day are beneficial.

According to Dr. Oz, "Exercise releases serotonin and dopamine, the feel-good hormones that become blocked during stress. Walking stairs is a great workout. One study showed that walking stairs 7 minutes a day reduces the risk of heart disease by two-thirds."

If possible, offer a company discount on gym memberships. This will encourage employees to make positive choices outside of the office and to exercise regularly.

Dig Deeper: 10 Ways CEOs can Reduce Office Stress


7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Create an Atmosphere of Growth

Jobs are more than a source of income. Jobs are a venue for employees to grow and learn. In a survey about employee motivation, employees ranked job characteristics that motivated them. Surprisingly, high wages and promotion were not in the top three. Instead, the number one desire was "Full Appreciation of Work Being Done."

Employers can create an atmosphere of growth by providing training, acknowledging benchmarks, and celebrating accomplishments. Employers should also encourage employees to take risks and learn new skills. Employees will become bored and lose motivation if they are never given an opportunity to expand their skills and responsibilities.

7 Ways to Improve Employee Satisfaction: Break Up Routines

Surprises add spark to all areas of life, including the workplace. "Even a small treat can boost people's happiness – and people get a bigger kick from an unexpected pleasure," says Rubin.

Employers should look for small ways to surprise employees. For instance, you can occasionally bring in a special treat such as coffee or baked goods. Small gestures show employees that you appreciate their time.

Another idea is to host an office party for a quirky holiday. Employers could even allow employees to create a holiday. Again, this does not need to be expensive. The keys are breaking up the routine of the workweek, promoting socialization, and demonstrating your appreciation.

Also consider an office give-away. You can hold a raffle or competition to motivate employees. The prize can be as simple as a gift card or as extravagant as a vacation.

If you don't think you need to improve employee satisfaction, read all the comments from dissatisfied employees on message boards such as Yahoo.

One user states, "I believe companies want good employees that work hard and are loyal but they will never get this because of the way they treat their employees."

Prove these disgruntled employees wrong. Be the best boss you can be and strive to improve happiness in the workplace. Your extra effort may just lead to a better a business.

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How to Create an Employee Performance Improvement Plan

Sooner or later, every manager is going to face a situation where a team member isn't performing well. This person may be slacking off, or simply failing to complete his or her basic job duties week after week. Either way, it's frustrating for the whole team, especially if the situation impedes the progress of the group.

But firing this employee may not be the answer just yet. Gerry David, CEO of beverage company Celsius Holdings, said it's important to try to get to the bottom of why the employee is underperforming — it may turn out not to be his or her fault, he said.

"There can be many good reasons for an employee to not meet expectations, and only through good communication with the employee will you have a chance to correct the shortfall," David said. "You, as the employer, may learn of deficiencies within your corporate expectations and management system."


If, after this conversation, the employee is still missing the mark, it may be time for a more impactful approach. One commonly used tactic is the performance improvement plan (PIP), a formal agreement outlining the employee's goals and what he or she can do to meet them more effectively. Not all organizations use PIPs, but those that do often use them as a wakeup call for the underperforming team member: Continued failure to live up to expectations after the PIP could result in termination. [See Related Story: Should I Fire an Underperforming Employee?]

Of course, a PIP is not your only option. If your organization is exceptionally good at ongoing feedback, you may not need to use one at all. Lisa Sterling, EVP and chief people officer of human capital management technology company Ceridian, said her company favors constant coaching and learning opportunities over PIPs.

"We have found PIPs to be used as a way for managers to communicate difficult feedback," Sterling said. "If you train your leaders to provide ongoing feedback and deal with performance issues as they arise, the need for a PIP is gone."

However, in some cases, a PIP is the best course of action to help get an employee back on track. If you decide to implement one for one of your staff members, here's what you need to know about making it fair and beneficial for both parties.

Developing the plan

A good PIP should include four key elements, said Clarissa Cyrus, senior business HR partner at human resources software company SilkRoad:

The performance deficiencies.
Measurable improvement expectations.
A reasonable, appropriate time frame for the employee to improve his or her performance.
Detailed consequences of continued underperformance.
It's critical to document absolutely everything, every step of the way, and get the employee to sign off on the plan in case the end result is termination. As the manager, you should check in with your HR business partner to make sure the plan meets company criteria and the language used in the plan is appropriate to the situation, Cyrus said.

Sterling reminded employers that having the necessary documentation, taking the appropriate steps and getting the individual engaged doesn't necessarily protect you from a lawsuit, but it will help mitigate any wrongful-termination claims the employee may try to make after the fact.

Ready to start? Here's a breakdown of each PIP item and how to approach it.

Part 1: Cite objective instances of performance issues

If you've reached a point where you feel a PIP is necessary, it's likely that you've already given plenty of informal feedback to your employee about what he or she is doing wrong. Sterling noted that documentation of this feedback is important, as well as whether or not the individual was given ample time to improve. She also emphasized the need for unbiased, objective feedback, which may include validation from other managers, colleagues or peers.

Similarly, Cyrus said your personal feelings about the employee must remain separate from anything that goes into the PIP.

"It's human nature for managers to become frustrated with an employee who is failing to reach [his or her] performance potential," Cyrus said. "As difficult as it may seem, they must keep personal feelings or frustrations from affecting their evaluation of the employee's performance."

Managers should understand that PIPs should never be used to address behavioral issues like poor attendance or inappropriate communications, said Jennifer Lasater, vice president of employer and career services at Kaplan University. Instead, the issues documented in the PIP should be related to skills or knowledge the employee is lacking, or specific job functions he or she is not completing properly on a regular basis.

"Stay away from [phrases] like, 'you always,'" Lasater added. "Instead state [facts, such as], 'reports are due at 10 am on Monday and on X date, you did not submit a report.'"

Part 2: Provide clear expectations, actions and metrics for improvement

Once you've stated the employee's performance problems, you should work with the employee to develop a plan of action that encompasses training (if necessary) and clear benchmarks to meet. Decide what tasks should be accomplished and how to best measure them. Lasater noted that creating this plan together with the employee in question will ensure understanding and create commitment on the employee's part.

Cyrus said the PIP should identify any internal resources available to assist the employee in meeting his or her performance goals (training programs, mentoring, etc.). She also said the expectations set forth in the plan should be consistent with the company's policies and past practices.

"Managers must ensure that performance expectations and goals are appropriate, and their method for measuring improvement is fair and consistent with similar situations," Cyrus said.

Part 3: Determine a reasonable time frame for the plan

Most PIPs are measured in increments between 30 and 90 days. The appropriate time frame to make the agreed-upon improvements depends on the employee's job duties and the nature of your business, David said. It's important to consider the surrounding circumstances and what improvements you're asking the employee to make when deciding on a fair and reasonable period.

"If you are selling nuclear power plants, 30 days may not be enough time to have a meaningful outcome. If you are a clerk in the mail room, 30 days may be more than enough time," David told Business News Daily. "Each situation is different and must be structured fairly."

You should also establish certain points throughout the plan to check in with the employee about his or her progress, Lasater said. If the employee is not meeting the criteria specifically mentioned in the plan, this should be discussed with the employee during the check-in meetings, she said.

"Give specific information on how often the manager and employee will meet to discuss the employee's progress while on the performance improvement plan," she said. "It's important for the manager to stick to the plan. The manager's commitment to meeting with the employee on a regular basis emphasizes to the employee that the manager is committed to the [his or her] improvement."

Part 4: Outline the consequences

Your PIP must be crystal clear on what happens if the set expectations aren't met. This may be a loss of certain privileges, temporary job suspension or, as is most common, termination of employment.

While the employee does need to understand the gravity of the situation, focusing too heavily on the negative consequences will only further discourage and demotivate him or her. Instead, David said your employee should understand that you are implementing the plan because you are genuinely invested in his or her success at the company.

"Make it clear that your intent is that through this process, they will be able to be a part of the team going forward," he told Business News Daily. "The PIP has to be specific and allow for a reasonable chance for success."

Next steps: Should the employee be let go?

If, at the end of the PIP period, the employee has successfully met the plan's expectations, move forward and continue to make him or her feel like a valued member of the team. David reminded managers to keep the lines of communication open, and advised scheduling a follow-up meeting to ensure that the employee is still performing at satisfactory levels.

However, if the employee has still not made any marked improvements (or has only gotten worse), you may be faced with the difficult decision of letting him or her go. Before any dismissal, you should discuss the progress that was made or not made by the employee with HR, and review the plan documentation to make sure it supports a "for cause" termination, Cyrus said.

"The decision will become clearer to the manager and should not be a surprise to the employee," Lasater added.

If it is determined that termination is the right answer, David noted that your decision must be final and agreed upon by management and HR.

"If you did your job properly as a manager in the development of the PIP, you must be prepared to abide by what consequences were defined in the PIP for failure," he said.

It's never easy to fire someone, especially if you have a good personal relationship with that person. However, by completing a PIP, you offered the employee assistance in improving and gave him or her the opportunity to course-correct. For the good of the organization, you must let the employee go, and hopefully gain some insights about how to prevent similar issues with existing and future employees.

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This Is The Link Between Employee Motivation And Their Manager’s Mental State

To effectively lead and motivate employees, you don’t need charisma and a grand vision. Research from Michigan State University (MSU) found that being a successful boss was more about mind over matter.

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What Can a Manager Do When Employees Won't Get Along?

When two kindergarten kids get into a spat, teachers temporarily separate the children and know that if you give them a few minutes they'll probably get over it. When two junior high school girls get into a spat, the whole world can come to an end and they will still hate each other and set out to destroy each other.

When two adults don't get along in the same office, we hope that they are more like kindergarten children than 7th graders, but unfortunately, sometimes development was stuck at 13 and you're in for a bumpy ride.


In one office at a major university, for example, two employees haven’t spoken to each other in over 20 years—and they sit next to each other in their cubicles. An effective manager would long ago have intervened because, usually, you're not stuck, and with appropriate mediation can address the issues like adults. In fact, this situation is an example of a management fail—an employee fail, too, but management intervention is to develop.

You (hopefully) don't have to deal with angry parents as well, just the employees. And, you can always fire a particularly bad apple. Before you get to that point, however, here's how to handle the situation when employees just won't get along with each other.

What Can a Manager Do When Employees Won't Get Along?
Identify the problem. You know that the problem is that the employees aren't getting along. But, what is the underlying problem? Why are the employees not getting along?

Here are a few of the many possibilities:

One employee isn't pulling her weight
One employee is gossiping about the other who found out
Unfair pay structures that the employees know about
Jealousy
Clashing personalities
High stress levels in the workplace
Favoritism of one over the other by the boss
Perceived inequity in job titles

Obviously, this list could go on, as the possibilities are endless, but these are very common reasons why people aren't getting along. It's critical that you identify the real problem because if you don't, you'll implement the wrong solution.

For instance, if Jane and Heidi don't get along and you just keep telling them to work it out, it won't solve the underlying problem that Jane is a slacker and Heidi is constantly forced to pick up the extra work.

Likewise, if no one likes Steve, is it because he's truly terrible or is it because Frank has been spreading rumors? You really need to know to help solve the problem.

Identifying the problem can sometimes require outside help. As a manager, you should bring in your HR person to help with this. Human Resources can often look at things from an outside viewpoint and spot what you can't see close up.

If you've been hearing over and over how awful Steve is, you might have forgotten that Frank felt that he should have received the promotion instead of Steve and thus, jealousy is the true problem.

Sit down with the source of the problem. Now, to be fair, it's rarely black and white. In the original example, Jane is a slacker which forces Heidi to pick up her slack, so you think, “Jane is the source of the problem.” But, you also need to consider whether Heidi is nit-picky, constantly criticizing Jane's work, or undermining Jane by contacting Jane's clients directly.


In this case, you'd want to talk with Jane and Heidi.

Here's a sample dialog for your discussion with Jane:

Manager: Jane, I've noticed that there's tension between you and Heidi. Can you tell me what is going on there?

Jane: Heidi is always criticizing me and jumping in on my clients.

Manager: I will talk to Heidi about that. I've also noticed that you leave work until the last minute, which may explain why Heidi is jumping in so often. I'll stop Heidi from giving you a difficult time and you can bump your timelines up so that there isn't any risk of missing a deadline. Would you like help to develop a revised timeline?

And here's how you can begin the needed discussion with Heidi:

Manager: Heidi, I've noticed that there is tension between you and Jane. Can you tell me what's going on there?

Heidi: Jane is such a slacker.

I'm always having to do her work.

Manager: Why?

Heidi: Because if I don't do the work, the work won't get done.

Manager: It's my job to ensure that Jane's work does get done—not yours. I hereby relieve you of the obligation to worry about Jane's workload. If I feel Jane needs help, I'll contact you.

Otherwise, you can focus on your own clients and you need to let Jane focus on hers. If you see a train wreck about to happen, come to me before going to Jane and I'll handle it.

Now that last part might be a little strange—because generally, it's better if employees work out their own differences without having to involve a manager. But, in a case where employees are at each other's throats, it's best to separate them as much as possible.

Follow-up: Now, here comes the hard part. You need to follow through. If you don't follow up with Jane to make sure that she's keeping to the new timelines and you don't correct Heidi every time that she tries to jump in, you won't solve the problem.

They'll still hate each other and they'll hate you because they'll see you as worthless. If you are going to solve a problem, you need to do the work to carry it through.

For a jealousy problem, you again need to address both people. For Frank, who is upset that he wasn't promoted, you need to tell him that the decision is final, and you do not want to hear him say anything else negative about Steve.

Follow up with a performance improvement plan, if necessary—and yes, not saying mean things about coworkers is part of a legitimate performance issue. But, Steve also needs to display sensitivity to Frank. It's hard to get passed over for a promotion.

Managers often struggle with coming up with solutions to the problem of bickering employees. But if you simply identify the underlying behavior issue, address it, and then follow up to solve it, you can work miracles in your department. Your employees will get along and you can create the harmonious environment at work that you want, too.

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6 STEPS TO HELP SLOW EMPLOYEES WORK FASTER

NOVEMBER 04, 2016 Ah, the employees whose veins must be filled with molasses. You know the ones—you leave them with an hour’s worth of work and it takes two days before they’re finished.
There’s good news, though: Not only are there strategies for increasing these slow employees' work speed, but when you follow these steps, you may also get better quality work out of them, too.
Want to Dive Deeper Into Productivity?
Access a curated collection of Productivity essentials and track your progress as you learn.

1. Determine why your employees are slow.

Just simply ask. Explain that you’ve noticed their speed isn’t up to par and ask what’s slowing them down. They might be confused. They might be so detail-oriented, they’re getting caught up in particulars that don’t matter to you. They may even know their performance is subpar and be glad you asked. In any case, a number of things may be causing employees to work slower than you’d like, and the first step toward a solution is determining the underlying cause.
2. Team up with them.

Employees may get defensive when they feel backed into a corner, and that’s the opposite of what you want. It may help to make it clear you’re there to help, not simply point the finger and walk away. Ask, “What can we do to improve this situation?” or “How can I help?” Sometimes the answer is there, you just have to ask the question.
Employees who feel overwhelmed may end up accomplishing very little, but if you feed them tasks a few at a time, they may be able to knock out phenomenal amounts of work.
3. Give clear deadlines with priorities.

You know which tasks are most important, but do your employees? While it’s great to give your staff to-do lists, it may help to prioritize tasks, or you may run the risk of your employees taking care of the least demanding and important tasks first. And don’t forget about Parkinson’s Law, that work expands to fill the time we allot for it. Don’t be afraid to give your staff clear and demanding deadlines. You won’t know how quickly they can turn projects around unless you push them.
4. Limit distractions.

Employees who feel overwhelmed may end up accomplishing very little, but if you feed them tasks a few at a time, they may be able to knock out phenomenal amounts of work. You might try to find ways to streamline your problem employees’ environments and give them the chance to succeed. Keep in mind that we may be distracted by different things. I’ve learned that I can’t have my email up and running if I’m trying to complete a complex task by a deadline, as I’m likely to be sidetracked by client questions. Determine what gets your slow employees off task and try to address those issues.
5. Find out what your employees like to do.

When you take the time to explore the tasks that make your staff feel fulfilled, you’re really trying to find out what they’re good at. While you can’t assign everyone only the tasks they enjoy, it often makes sense to work to your employees’ strengths. If you can balance jobs that feel like drudgery with jobs they love, your employees may be happier and less likely to drag their heels. You don’t have to treat work like preschool, but employees who feel a balance of fulfilled and challenged may be the most productive.
6. Give regular feedback.

So you meet with your slow employees, find out what the problems are and develop a plan to speed up their work completion. The critical last step is to follow up. Consider planning a series of meetings to discuss their performance and progress and decide how things are going. It may also be important to set incremental goals. When you have otherwise good employees who simply lag a bit, you don’t want to have to fire them if their first evaluation shows they haven’t achieved absolutely everything. Rewarding incremental progress may help you keep the tone positive, while still working toward your end goal. Constructive criticism and a focus on what they’ve accomplished may make the meeting a positive one, rather than something they’ll dread.
An added benefit to addressing the problem of slow employees in a pragmatic fashion is you’re modeling a positive method of conflict resolution in your business. Your staff sees that while you have high expectations, you don’t expect perfection. They’ll hopefully understand that you value them and their contribution enough to work toward better results. Feeling supported and valued often translates into loyal, long-term employees, ones you can trust to deliver on time.

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