Problem Employees and Their Personalities

An important contribution to the human resources literature, this book is written for personnel and training managers who need specific information on how to recognize and deal effectively with problem employees. Based on Martin's experience with hundreds of employees in a variety of work settings over a 22-year period, the volume describes a number of employee types and the overt/covert behaviors they manifest, explains the personality dynamics involved, and offers practical advice regarding intervention strategies that can be effectively used in dealing with these employees. Throughout, case studies are used to illustrate typical behaviors and possible solutions.

Today's employment climate generally precludes the use of personality tests on prospective employees, and problems often surface after the fact when termination may be difficult. Thus, Martin focuses particularly on how to work with such employees to help them understand the counterproductive nature of their work behavior and how to place them within the most productive organizational setting possible. Following several introductory chapters, each subsequent chapter is devoted to a particular type of problem employee--primadonna, rebel, backstabber, that's not my job, etc. The individual chapters combine case examples with a collective discussion of behaviors, dynamics, and intervention strategies offering the busy practitioner both a better understanding of certain employee behaviors and a framework by which to deal with these individuals within the job and organizational realm. The book also offers suggestions for recognizing disruptive personality types at the interview stage.

WILLIAM T. MARTIN is presently working in the human services area in Texas while continuing his writing. He has formerly held positions of Director of Psychological Services, Staff Psychologist, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Instructor in Human Resource Management and Assistant Administrator in the Mental Health and Mental Retardation settings. Other experience was in the private sector business and industry area. Martin wrote Motivation and Productivity in Public Sector Human Service Organizations published by Quorum Books, 1988.