6 Steps To Tackling Tough HR Conversations

If you manage people or work in HR, it is just a matter of time before you need to talk with someone about:

• Being late
• Discrimination
• Drug or alcohol use
• Flirtatious behavior
• Having an inter-office affair
• Inappropriate attire
• Leaving dirty dishes in the sink
• A messy desk
• Personal hygiene
• Excessive cell phone use (texting and talking)
• Vulgar language

6 Steps To Providing Feedback During A Tough HR Conversation:

We have put together a general guideline to help you handle talking to employees about tough HR issues. We still suggest getting a professional's advice when dealing with certain issues that arise from your business. As we said, these six steps are just meant to be a guideline.

Step #1 - Seek Permission To Give Feedback: Ask the person for permission to give them feedback at the start of a HR conversation. Opening a two-way channel between you and the employee you are speaking with helps to explore the problem from every angle.

Click here for ideas on handling tough HR conversations

Step #2 - Keep Cool, Calm And Collected: We both know that slamming someone verbally never solves anything; shouting is just a scare tactic that puts an employee on the defensive. Instead, broach the matter with a calm, level tone. The goal of a HR conversation is to help someone become aware of whatever you are trying to address and not be sidetracked by emotions.

Step #3 - Focus On The Problem: Telling someone that other coworkers have voiced complaints about their attitude and/or behavior can seem like redirection. More often than not, this only exacerbates the issue. Sometimes it even creates new ones. What matters most is the issue at hand, so focus solely on that during your conversation.

Step #4 - Keep The Discussion Uncomplicated And Simple: As mentioned in Step 3, staying focused is in everyone's best interest. Keep your conversation simple, direct and on topic - don't sidetrack the real issue at hand with any irrelevant discussion.

Step #5 - Reach An Agreement: The goal of any HR conversation is to facilitate change or improvement. That requires both parties to come to an agreement about what needs to be done and when it ought to be done by. We recommend scheduling a date to review the employee's changed attitude/behavior.

Step #6 - Follow-up: The more positive feedback you provide, the more likely someone is to change their attitude and/or behavior. It is especially useful to let them know whenever other employees take notice of the change in their attitude and/or behavior. This kind of encouragement helps ensure these changes are maintained.

Executive Summary: Navigating a tough HR conversation is never fun. However, they can be made easier by heeding the steps listed above. Doing so will help build your comfort level and provide a mental outline to follow for future HR conversations. At the end of the day, it is best to have difficult HR conversations sooner versus later, as it could avoid potential legal issues in the future.