Terminating A Toxic High Performing Employee
Employees come in all shapes and sizes, and most importantly all different kinds of personalities. On one hand, an organization may have a low performer that has an amazing “go-getter” attitude. This individual is trainable and willing to build their skillset to improve their performance. On the other hand, the same organization may have an amazing performer that completes stellar work before the deadline, but disregards their coworkers’ feelings, continuously bullies others, displays negative behavior, and is extremely toxic which is detrimental to the organizational culture. Which of these would be better for organizational growth? If you picked the lower performer that you can mold into a rock star, you are correct! Terminating a toxic employee is never easy, especially if they are high performing. The toxic employee must be terminated before they cause additional damage.
How to Identify a Toxic Employee
It is important to remember that just because an employee completes their work and has great statistics behind their name, doesn’t mean they are not wreaking havoc on the culture. There are specific behaviors leaders should look for when determining if an employee is toxic to the workplace.
Gossiping: Employees that participate in gossiping or spreading rumors about other coworkers can be considered toxic. Those that continuously spread personal information about others, whether it is true or not, can be detrimental to an organization’s culture and morale.
Bullying: Bullying does not only have to include physical harm to others. Employees that are condescending, manipulative, or consistently abusive to others can be considered bullies.
Insubordination: Employees that intentionally refuse to obey policies or reasonable orders from their superiors can be considered insubordinate. This can also include ignoring requests to stop gossiping, making hostile remarks, or bullying others.
Negative Attitude: Toxic and unhappy employees will spread negativity throughout the organization. This may also be accompanied by resistance to change and aggressiveness.
The Impact of Toxic Employees in the Workplace
Here are some ramifications of keeping the toxic employee
Decreases productivity amongst the workforce.
Builds a toxic work environment.
Creates poor employee morale and culture.
Increases turnover rates; ultimately leading to higher recruiting costs.
How to Fire the Toxic Top Performer
When leaders recognize their top performer is a toxic employee to the organization, they need to approach the negative situation head on and discuss the issues with their top performer. Difficult conversations are not meant to be easy, but they can save an organization from creating a hostile environment. Leaders should follow the steps below when handling a toxic, top performer:
Document all violations by the toxic employee.
Set proper expectations when toxic behaviors are first recognized.
Investigate complaints thoroughly and document findings.
Provide regular feedback on the employee’s performance and attitude.
Ensure performance discussions are separate from overall attitude and personal actions.
Create a Performance Improvement Plan with a 30-day deadline for improvement.
If there is no positive change, terminate the employee immediately.
The best piece of advice we can provide is to take emotion out of the equation. Terminating a high performer is tough, but employers must look beyond that one individual. Important questions to keep in mind when going through the process:
Will this employee cause others to leave the organization?
What will it take to ensure the organization is growing?
Is the morale and culture of the organization positive and welcoming?
Do you have a top performing employee that is also toxic to your work environment? It can be difficult to make the decision to terminate this employee, but as HR professionals, we must look towards the bigger picture. If you need some help navigating troublesome employees, consider partnering with AZ HR HUB for expert advice and guidance. Our consultants are ready to dive into your organization and ensure your employees are contributing to success and growth! Reach out to us today to take the next step in managing your workforce.
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