Restructuring - the good, bad, and ugly

[greyghost]

BACKSTORY: I have an employee who is great sometimes, and then falls off and phones it in for a while. We've had her for three years, and when she is on, my god, she is my right hand.

And then a few months later, I'm realizing emails are unanswered, what she does answer is incomplete/rushed, she doesn't read things through and duplicates work, and her timesheet includes 20 hours of time "cleaning up" our CRM.


The other half and I are super frustrated right now, we're in the middle of a "where did she go?" moment and heading into slow season. He's ready to let her go. I'm currently ok if she stays, or decides to walk after we restructure her job this week (which we haven't told her yet).



Her role has changed mostly dictated by her life, and us trying to work with her. The job title she has usually means that person is on site a LOT. The way it is now, she is mostly remote, and it isn't working for us. In typing this out, and realizing how much I am holding back, we've bent wayyyy backwards for her. How much it hasn't been ideal.


TO THE POINT:
We are having a meeting Friday that she doesn't yet know about.

I would like for her to stay, but the role has to change, and the hours need to be productive hours. I will solicit her feedback and have her help develop her role, but in the end, it may not work. The on again/off again issue is likely not ever going to go away.



Have you been part of a restructuring/finding your job role changing, and what made it a good/bad experience?

[Sundance Kid V2]

been there a few years ago, when almost 10 people in the company screwed around, and cost the company money, time and reputational damage. They didn't deliver on a project after 7 months.

So the company restructured (only way to get rid of them here).

We all had to re-apply for our jobs etc. I was pass the give a sh-t stage. I do my work, I don't fck around...

It won't be a pleasant experience for anyone who is impacted. No matter how you slice it.

In your case, if the job requires the person to be onsite, the person needs to be on site.

The emails is a problem. Can they be trained to be better?

[Lazy8s]

My position, my crew, has been under constant ‘restructure’ for some time, ending soon in forced retirements. Your position is different though.

My recommendation based on personal experience:

Talk to her and try to find out what’s going on between the “on” times and the not good times. I know you’ve thought of that though.

Potential ‘good’ coming from this effort:

She may right the ship and agree to do what you need the way you need it done when you need it done.

She may not. You may have to replace her with another employee and that person might be exactly what you needed all along. You won’t know until you do it.

It can be an uncomfortable situation no matter what, but in this instance you can’t sacrifice your businesses success to accommodate someone who isn’t holding up their end of the employment deal.

Set this meeting up as a fact finding venture. Make necessary decisions based on her responses.

[xCLAVEx]

BACKSTORY: I have an employee who is great sometimes, and then falls off and phones it in for a while. We've had her for three years, and when she is on, my god, she is my right hand.

And then a few months later, I'm realizing emails are unanswered, what she does answer is incomplete/rushed, she doesn't read things through and duplicates work, and her timesheet includes 20 hours of time "cleaning up" our CRM.


The other half and I are super frustrated right now, we're in the middle of a "where did she go?" moment and heading into slow season. He's ready to let her go. I'm currently ok if she stays, or decides to walk after we restructure her job this week (which we haven't told her yet).



Her role has changed mostly dictated by her life, and us trying to work with her. The job title she has usually means that person is on site a LOT. The way it is now, she is mostly remote, and it isn't working for us. In typing this out, and realizing how much I am holding back, we've bent wayyyy backwards for her. How much it hasn't been ideal.


TO THE POINT:
We are having a meeting Friday that she doesn't yet know about.

I would like for her to stay, but the role has to change, and the hours need to be productive hours. I will solicit her feedback and have her help develop her role, but in the end, it may not work. The on again/off again issue is likely not ever going to go away.



Have you been part of a restructuring/finding your job role changing, and what made it a good/bad experience?

So you are basically going to make her have to work for her paycheck. She's clearly not going to like that as she's become comfortable with doing a half assed job but still getting paid a full wage so she may either walk, balk, or whine about it. Either way it sounds like you are clearly in the right and as it's your business, it's your decision regardless.

[greyghost]

Thanks guys.


I am glad @Lazy8s suggested hearing her side. In some ways, it is my fault for not always having a clear direction for what she should do now she is at home more (which was not part of the original job, just us trying to keep her for the times she is great), and me running SO hard that I don't have time to check constantly or make a weekly to-do list. But likewise... she doesn't ASK what would be productive. And a number of the things I have passed off to her either do not get done, or drag out foreverrrrr.



But yes, I need to know what happens between the "on the game" and "fell off the earth" moments.



Considering an Option A and an Option B, and letting her look them over during the weekend and letting us know her choice. Or, if she has another idea to add value, we'll hear it.


The other half (who is also my business partner) is done. He's fine if she walks, because he sees what she has been doing as dishonest and a form of theft. Not arguing, but a lot of people do that. It's up to us to set the parameters and boundaries of what is ok, and what is not.



I think if she can be consistent, then I'd like her to stay. When she is on, she is great with our couples, bubbly, poised and professional with the email responses (in person attire needs a little polishing up though). She's a decade younger, and so I think connects better with our couples than my 45 year old ass (I have more in common with their PARENTS... ugh)

[SD-[Inc]]

There are a lot of duds out there in the job market. So, the grass is not always greener. It is better to build talent than keep moving on and on and on and never really getting anyone “good”. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. She needs to know you value her strengths and want more. If she can’t give it, she owes you a good reason. Sometimes it is personal issues, sometimes it is boredom, sometimes it is dishonest. If this has always been a pattern for her it’s your responsibility as a manager to help her or help her move on. Remote work adds another complication to this issue as it is pretty common that remote workers are actually holding 2 full time jobs at once and doing a half-ass job on both. If she can’t explain or commit to an improvement plan, she is likely doing something dishonest like this.

[greyghost]

So it actually went well.
We decided not to address the problems, we presented it as "this is what the job would be now."
And she has decided to move her other job as a full time position, which apparently she was planning to do in the Spring, we just bumped her timeline up (and she wasn't upset).




Whew.

[JZL]

So it actually went well.
We decided not to address the problems, we presented it as "this is what the job would be now."
And she has decided to move her other job as a full time position, which apparently she was planning to do in the Spring, we just bumped her timeline up (and she wasn't upset).
Whew.

That doesn't sound like it went well. She had another job the whole time? And she's quitting her job with you to work there full time, and was planning to in the Spring all along?

I agree with SD it's generally better to "rehabilitate" a problem employee if reasonably possible. It's also better to take corrective action immediately as opposed to letting things slide, and to set clear expectations even before that.

It sounds like the only thing that went well was that she wasn't upset and that you didn't have to fire her during the meeting. Sometimes you have to be confrontational even if it isn't your nature.

[koralis]

That doesn't sound like it went well. She had another job the whole time? And she's quitting her job with you to work there full time, and was planning to in the Spring all along?

Yeah... basically her going remote was the excuse she needed to split her attention between multiple jobs and not do yours well anymore. I'm highly skeptical of remote work.

[Lazy8s]

Presenting it that way was a great idea grey I hope her replacement works out much better for you.

[SD-[Inc]]

Remote working is challenging. But, for now, it’s reality. The best way to deal with it is to insist that teams meet regularly. Everyone has the benefit to work from home. But they must make a schedule to meet in person regularly. Sometimes this requires free lunches and such. But, it’s a good way to see who is really serious about the team they work on. There are exceptions to everything. I have a team where most of the members have been together for 10+ years. I trust all of them. But when teams are cycling in and out new hires, it is critical to meet in person. We have a hub location. If we hire someone that is not located there they need to be willing to travel or we don’t hire them. Good teams need to bond to work well together. 100% remote only ensures one thing. A lot of people move on pretty quickly to another job. Just like what happened to grey. Teams that bond stay together. A good working environment makes people stick to their current job. Meeting in person is critical for this to happen.

[greyghost]

It sounds like the only thing that went well was that she wasn't upset and that you didn't have to fire her during the meeting. Sometimes you have to be confrontational even if it isn't your nature.

Our city is a big small town. One has to be careful in how to proceed with treating an employee, it's easy for the "they did this to her" or "they accused her of theft!" to go around.


I'm happy to see an end to paying this person. I'm happy there is no drama, that the other employees won't see anything negative happening, and it all feels natural. And, I am happy to now focus on what the role of a new hire should be.