Can You Spot Unproductive Employees?

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By Lorna Faires

Topics: unproductive employees

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Can_You_Spot_Unproductive_Employees.jpgWhen you hire new employees, you expect them to help you achieve your business goals. You expect them to become assets to your company. You hope that all of your employees are hard workers, are dedicated, and are effective and efficient. But are you sure that all of the members of your workforce are actually as productive as you think they are? You might be surprised.

Unproductive employees are experts at busy work. They know how to make it seem like they’re working hard and working often. And unfortunately, having these types of workers on your team will only reduce productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness in your workplace.

It’s best to spot these unproductive employees immediately so they can be dealt with accordingly.

Use these tips to help you spot lazy workers in your office.

They Delegate Everything

Of course, sometimes delegating is part of the job, especially for managers. But many unproductive employees will be very skilled at asking others to do their work for them. They’ll charm them or guilt them into taking over the majority of their workload. Then, they can relax, pretend to work, and not do anything productive at all.

They Take Their Exact Roles Too Seriously

You will often hear unproductive employees say, “That’s not my job.” They barely want to do their own work, so they absolutely will not do any extra work, put in any extra hours, or help out their colleagues because they don’t think that they have to. They only focus on what their exact roles are, and focus far too much on what others in the office aren’t doing. Productive workers, on the other hand, don’t care who does what. They do the work that’s assigned, without another thought. They get things done and they plow ahead.

They Don’t Actually Get Anything Done

Unproductive workers will always claim that they’ll finish their tasks later. As a result, nothing ever actually gets completed, especially not on time. Instead, they constantly waste time, living in a state of incongruity. Their loose ends always stay loose. They work on tasks for a while and then give up, working on something else for a while and then give up on that, too.

They Procrastinate

Unproductive employees will procrastinate for a variety of reasons. Some won’t get started on a project until every little thing is perfectly lined up—until they have all of the answers. Productive workers don’t wait for perfect timing—they just do it. Others procrastinate because they have no drive or motivation. Some will even use the excuse that they work better under pressure and thus leave everything to the last minute. But when employees procrastinate, they hand things in late and their projects are usually below the quality level that you expect because they’re rushing to get them done.

They Wait for You to Tell Them What to Do

Productive workers are go-getters. They’re independent. And they’re constantly looking for something to do. You never have to tell them what to do. They figure out the problem and start working on the task on their own. Unproductive employees, though, would rather sit on their hands and relax until they’re told what to do—and this wastes valuable time.

They Complain All the Time

Sure, everyone is going to complain here and there. It’s human nature. But lazy employees will take complaining to the next level. Every hour of every day they’ll have something to complain about, whether it’s how tired they are, how hard their project is, or how no one is helping them.

Contact Liberty Staffing if you want to start hiring some ultra-productive employees today.

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Lorna Faires

I have over 15 years of experience in the staffing industry, in a management role. I possess a strong background in recruitment, screening, and connecting candidates with the right employment opportunities. I love all animals, but especially my 3 dogs. Hiking and canoeing are my passions, and getting out into nature and being unplugged is my favourite way to spend my vacations.

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