As someone that manages employees, you have to be alert to any worrying signs. This relates to different things, but we're mainly talking about the behaviour of your employees. Are they exhibiting certain signs that you should be worried about? If so, you need to learn how to spot these signs and deal with them before they are detrimental to the overall business operations. After all, if you're managing them, you get some of the flack when things go wrong. The people above you will say that you should've spotted things sooner. With that in mind, here are 3 worrying signs to look for.
By Team Savant
Image: Toa Heftiba
Mental Health Problems
When employees suffer from mental health problems, it impacts all elements of their life - including their work performance. You need to spot signs of mental struggles within your employees, then act by getting them the help they need. Signs of depression and anxiety can include a change in mood from an employee, usually becoming more reserved and quiet. They may have a general down demeanour and keep to themselves, or they might start phoning in sick more often. If you suspect that an employee is having mental health struggles, call them into a private meeting and speak to them one-on-one. Often, having someone ask if they're okay is all that's needed for everything to spill out, and you can then work with them to find professional help.
Alcohol/Drug Abuse Issues
Unfortunately, alcohol and drug abuse are far too common in today's world. If an employee is suffering from either of these problems, it will directly impact their work. Not only that, but it can lead to issues that affect the overall brand. For instance, a worker turns up drunk to a shift and makes the brand look terrible. You can undergo things like reasonable suspicion training to identify the telltale signs of drug/alcohol abuse in employees. When spotted, you need to confront them and provide solutions to help them deal with the issue. If they refuse the help, the only other option is to let them go before they start harming the company any further.
Suspicious Behaviour Concerns
Finally, you need to keep an eye on employees that start acting very suspiciously. Perhaps they start staying later and later every day, or maybe they're always the first to arrive. Do you keep seeing them hanging around rooms with lots of private and confidential information inside them? Effectively, we're talking about suspicious behaviours that could indicate your employee is trying to steal something from your business. They could be taking money from the petty cash, or they might be stealing information and selling it to your rivals. Clearly, you need to spot this as soon as possible, before it becomes a huge problem that damages your business.
As mentioned in the beginning, you are responsible for the employees you manage. Therefore, if bad things happen under your management, it won't look good for you. The people managing you will start thinking if they made the right decision making you a manager. To further your career, always be on the lookout for these worrying signs in your employees.