March 28, 2018

If you work hard at your job, it’s frustrating to work with others who do not. Especially if their lackluster behavior directly impacts your work day. If you find yourself, time and again, picking up the slack for other employees who can’t be bothered, you’ve probably felt your fair share of annoyance. But what can you do to solve the problem?

Four ways to encourage an unenthusiastic co-worker

You can try to entice your fellow employee into action, or you can talk to you boss. Consider the following:

1. Get your coworker’s point of view.

It’s entirely possible your teammate has something going on that’s affecting their job performance. Take the high road and simply talk to them. You could say something like, “When we were assigned this project, I thought you’d be handling this and I’d be handling that, but I ended up handling both. What happened?” It’s possible your colleague didn’t have a clear understanding of the task, or is afraid to ask questions, or simply has personal issues in the mix. Before anything else, try to see the situation from their side.

2. Ask for help.

You can also be direct about what you need. So giving adequate time before an assignment is due, talk to your coworker about what you’ll be working on versus what they’ll be working on. Be very clear about how you view your individual responsibilities and ask what they think. You might even want to schedule time to follow up on a regular basis until the due date. Showing leadership like this is also good if you want to move into more of a leadership position in your company.

3. Explain how their behavior affects you.

If a coworker is still slacking and not holding up their end of the project, let them know how it’s impacting you. For example, “Last night, I was here until 8 finishing our project, but you left right at 5. It really wasn’t fair that I spent so much more time on it.” Then, give them a chance to respond. Being direct might make a difference for the next time you have to work together on something—they’ll understand you’re fully aware of the situation.

4. Talk to your manager.

In the end, you need to be happy at your job. If the issue doesn’t resolve itself, schedule time to talk with your manager. Let them know what’s been going on and how you’ve tried to handle it. Quite possibly, other people have commented on the performance of slacking colleagues, and this information is nothing new. Ask about your options—can you be moved to work with someone else or reassigned another partner?

Know when it’s time to move on

You should never feel overworked or taken advantage of in your job. And if you’ve taken steps change a bad situation without success, it may be time to look for something else.

Work with a employment agency

When it’s time to look for a new job, a recruiter is an invaluable partner in your job search. The staffing professionals at Inter-Connect place qualified candidates with office/clerical, industrial, technical and professional/managerial experience! To learn more, contact Inter-Connect today.

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