Toxic employees are anyone who negatively affects the productivity of your workplace.It is important to acknowledge who is toxic so you can better manage your time and energy at your work station.If you notice any red flags, take a day or two to observe your workspace.
Step 1: Employees should be observed to see if they are over confident.
Look for people who think they are capable of doing a job.Give your employee a survey where they have to rate their skills.If you compare their results to their actual capabilities in the workspace, you can get an idea of their confidence levels.A person who rates themselves with a 5 out of 5 rating for typing but can only type 50 words a minute is likely over confident.People who think they can get away with things tend to be toxic.
Step 2: If an employee has a selfish attitude, listen to them.
Look for workers who seem to only care about their own problems, and don't offer much sympathy to their co-workers.Most selfish individuals do not care if or how they contribute to a negative workspace.There is a chance that an employee will refuse to help their employees.
Step 3: There are workers who have a know-it-all attitude.
Listen to the conversations between employees and see how they portray themselves.A lot of self-assured, know-it-all employees may be contributing to a toxic work environment if they refuse to accept critiques.Employees who refuse to accept criticism are likely to fall into this category.
Step 4: Listen for people who gossip.
There is drama being spread around the workplace.People who gossip are toxic, especially if they distract other employees with their tall tales.If gossip is a big problem in your workspace, you may need to separate yourself or other employees so there is less temptation to talk.
Step 5: There are employees who bully or belittle others.
Look for workers who are rude and intimidating.People will try to humiliate others in a public setting instead of resolving their issues in public.This is an obvious red flag for toxicity in the workplace.If an employee makes a big issue about someone grabbing their lunch instead of addressing them individually, it is not a good sign.
Step 6: If the employee sends off-color messages, you should check your email.
If an employee sends you an email, flag it.These messages show that your employee does not respect the professionalism of the workplace and that they don't respect employee boundaries as well.
Step 7: Employees who have a negative mindset should be looked at.
Listen for workers who are always complaining.It can lead to a toxic environment if persistently grumpy employees get into arguments with coworkers.It is normal for employees to complain.When the worker is complaining, it becomes a red flag.If you offer to fix the situation, these workers will remain grumpy and refuse to compromise their feelings.
Step 8: Employees who are consistently late will be watched out for.
Track deadlines for your workspace and how well employees follow them.Take note of any workers who repeatedly turn in work late or make an off-handed excuse that they will get it done again.Repeated occurrences are a big deal and may signal a toxic employee.Take note of the deadlines for your workspace and write them down if the employee fails to submit their work on time.
Step 9: Do you know if any employees are hard workers?
Keep an eye out for workers who are close to burning themselves out.These workers are productive, but they may be close to their breaking point, which can lead to toxic situations.If an employee is stressed out, they may make mistakes.Workaholics are often control freaks.
Step 10: Employees who claim to be strict rule followers should listen.
Keep an eye out for employees who talk about how important the rules are and how they need to be obeyed.It is suspicious for someone to be an adamant rule follower because they will bend rules from time to time.Most people have either bent or broken a workplace rule at some point, so you can assume that someone who claims to always follow the rules isn't the most honest person.
Step 11: Look for employees who don't want to take responsibility for their actions.
When a mistake is made, watch for an employee's reaction.If the worker passes the blame for the error to someone else, you should listen.You can assume that someone is a toxic employee if they persistently blame others.Denying responsibility is not a big deal.When a worker repeats this behavior frequently, it becomes a problem.
Step 12: It's a good idea to recognize when someone is a yes-person.
People who agree with authority and refuse to make their own opinions are not good.It shows that your employee doesn't want to grow or improve in the office, which is toxic.Being agreeable is not the same as being a yes-person.A yes- person will agree all the time and refuse to make their own opinions.