Disliked Colleague

LegacyUser

Going anon for this one,

We have had a new person start with us in the last few months who has endeared themselves to no one........... in fact, has rubbed every single person they have come into contact the wrong way.

The company is a large multinational and our team has about 20 people. We all get on well with each other, some are more social than others, but there seems to be a good professional relationship between everyone, even between other departments.........except for this one person.

I think the best way I can describe this workers 4 months with us is in bullet point form:

. Lied about their experience and expertise to get the job (and bragged about it)
. As a result, is trying to pick it up on the fly from everyone else in the team
. Is generally very rude and has passed comments about co-workers
. Has gone over more than one managers heads (other departments) to get what they wanted
. Has already asked for a raise 4 months in (already well paid as a result of said lies)
. Constantly uses company phones to sort out personal life on company time
. Is way too intrusive with questioning you on your own personal life
. Is dismissive to people younger, even though the younger person has more experience in our particular field.


The team is mixed in terms of age, gender and experience from college graduates to mid 30s experienced professionals. In my time here, everyone has been super helpful and supportive, but this person has done a very good job at making anyone he has asked for help feel like he is just leeching as much information as possible for their own gain.

Now that has to happen to a certain extent for the person to get up to speed but the information they want is sometimes basic information you really should know working in our field and information and knowledge that they have said they already have.

This coupled with his/her larger than average pay and their slightly authoritative nature to anyone younger, has caused him/her to be almost universally hated.

The younger people in our team are struggling to deal with this person (mostly the college graduates). This persons knowledge is more limited than theirs and our college graduates who have been here a year or more are now very capable, yet paid way less and know much more. I don't know what to say to them as although I have experienced this before, and in general, the person gets found out, I'm not so sure if this will be the case this time. Our own management are not seeing the issues......yet

What I'm afraid of is that some of our younger people will do or say something they shouldnt and end up on the wrong side of HR. I'm advising them to keep their head down, make sure they are doing what they need to work wise, and be civil to the person. This person hasn't technically done a huge amount wrong (apart from lie in his/her interview, which management know about but are ignoring). I believe that when projects are not coming in on time or not to standard, that he/she will be found out, but I'm imploring everyone to not intentionally sabotage him/her.

Am I giving the right advice???

Eoin

Disliked Colleague wrote: »

I'm imploring everyone to not intentionally sabotage him/her.

Am I giving the right advice???

Yep, because that can easily backfire and it's unprofessional.

It sounds like you are a senior person on this team, so you may have to bite the bullet and talk to management about the situation. It doesn't have to be a complaint, but maybe something along the lines of "I think it might help if he is trained up in certain areas", and that can include interpersonal skills, basic skills for the job etc.

It's a tough one, but kicking the can down the road never helps. Especially given there are personality problems, not just lack of technical skills.

LegacyUser

I might not have mentioned it, but that has already happened. I wasn't the one to talk to management but his demeanor has been highlighted to them already. The response was that everyone is different and that we were professionals who should be able to work with all personality types.

Which of course is true.

But I do believe that its his/her pure lack of industry knowledge and the fact that he/she lied about it is what is pissing most people off. Some would say fair play for getting a job and winging it.........but by winging it, he's/she's slowing everyone down.

This would probably be ok if he/she was a nice person, but the manner in which he/she is gathering all his/her information makes it not ok. He/she has "tried to" use information gathered from some against others in meetings to look good which has already backfired because of his/her lack of knowledge. Thats generally not the company way here thankfully.

This might be a slow burner as our company is one where people are given every chance to succeed. (as it should be)

I worry that management may have seen him/her as a replacement for a senior person who left recently, who's team is still leaderless. A lot on that team will not be happy about this if this is the case, with most stating that they would find other employment (not too difficult in our industry).

skallywag

If his behavior is really being picked up on by everyone then I would imagine that his direct supervisor will either have noticed it directly or will have heard rumblings.

Is this the case? If it was one of my team members I would certainly take him to one side for a chat. Just an informal chat where I lay the cards on the table and give some frank feedback.

Wanderer2010

Most companies want people to get along but they also recognise that some personalities are more overbearing than others so they try to delegate and team up people who can get along whilst making the most of their skillset. I know its a tough one OP but if nothing is done about this person I fear you will lose good people who will leave due to frustration with management.

5rtytry56

skallywag wrote: »

If it was one of my team members I would certainly take him to one side for a chat. Just an informal chat where I lay the cards on the table and give some frank feedback.

Another suggestion, sort of tangent on this:

[LIST=3]
[*]Meet up with some of this person's collegues of the same rank, away from the subject's presence
[*]Ask them to go into a 'group session' with the subject.
[*]Get a neutral person, maybe from another department to speak to the 'class' about "brushing up on their work pratices" (you'll be forewarning the other collegues about this cr@pola in point 1)
This was done in an American Company I worked for some years ago.
[/LIST]

beauf

In my experience people like that are toxic. People need to do as you've suggest. Keep their work impeccable, and everything recorded. Because when trouble comes, this person will be looking for a patsy. Also like you said be professional with them, but stay at arms length or further as much as you can. They will probably get promoted initially, so don't burn bridges. When they fall from grace they will take a few with them. My usual approach is to humor them, but stand well back. I will minimize my interaction with them as much as possible. I wouldn't try and get involved. They tend to use conflict to divide and conquer, and will be past masters of it.

But I think you know all this. You've essentially said the same thing.

beauf

5rtytry56 wrote: »

Another suggestion, sort of tangent on this:

[LIST=3]
[*]Meet up with some of this person's collegues of the same rank, away from the subject's presence
[*]Ask them to go into a 'group session' with the subject.
[*]Get a neutral person, maybe from another department to speak to the 'class' about "brushing up on their work pratices" (you'll be forewarning the other collegues about this cr@pola in point 1)
This was done in an American Company I worked for some years ago.
[/LIST]

In my opinion, that could backfire spectacularly badly, in so many ways.

Damien360

beauf wrote: »

In my experience people like that are toxic. People need to do as you've suggest. Keep their work impeccable, and everything recorded. Because when trouble comes, this person will be looking for a patsy. Also like you said be professional with them, but stay at arms length or further as much as you can. They will probably get promoted initially, so don't burn bridges. When they fall from grace they will take a few with them. My usual approach is to humor them, but stand well back. I will minimize my interaction with them as much as possible. I wouldn't try and get involved. They tend to use conflict to divide and conquer, and will be past masters of it.

But I think you know all this. You've essentially said the same thing.

This is very true. Bigger multinationals tend to like promoting this kind of person. They talk the talk which management love but can't walk the walk. The bigger the company, the easier it is for them to hide their ineffectiveness.

beauf

I seem to experience them mainly in bad project managers. Their bad people skills seem to be confused with toughness and hard task managers. I think the OP suspects that's where this person is headed. Next step on that ladder is when they do a business related short course, and power dressing.

the_syco

Have come across this sort of people. When they slip up, I pounce, and get them sacked.

In this case, log his fcuk-ups. When and what. Find a manager that you get on well with, who you know who also hates the the person in question. And after a week, tell the manager of the fcuk-ups, and show him the log.

No petty crap, mind you. All has to be company rule breaking. Bullying, using company property for personal tasks, etc. Also, ensure what you pull him up on isn't regularly done by others.

razorblunt

I could understand senior management might dismiss an initial complaint or comment but it sounds like it needs to be repeated to them by more than just you, by more than one person.
Also, be double sure that others are happy for their claims to be logged, too often someone tells you dislike or have issues and then when questioned by that person's manage they blow it off as "ah no, he's quirky but grand" and the complaint loses credibility and momentum.