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Employers often value talented employees because they bring strong skills, creativity, and results to the workplace. 

However, when a highly skilled employee is difficult to work with - through poor attitude, conflict with coworkers, resistance to feedback, or disruptive behaviour - it can negatively affect team morale and productivity. 

But instead of immediately dismissing the employee, Brad Ratz, Director of Growth Strategy and Customer Experience at H2R Business Solutions, recommends employers take a different approach using thoughtful strategies to manage the situation while protecting the work environment.

“The first step is identification. What are you physically observing? So many people get caught up in gut reactions or emotions,” he says, noting identifying someone as a ‘difficult employee’ can be subjective. “If this is an isolated incident, then as an employer you have to look into this more and discover what’s the root cause?”

Talking to a colleague about the situation can also be beneficial.

“It could be your boss, or another manager, but use them as a sounding board to say, ‘Here are my observations’,” says Brad. “It can help bring you some sound judgment.”

Once an employer has identified the issue and clearly labeled their observations pertaining to that employee, and determined the behavioural changes they wish to see, he says it is imperative they provide feedback to the employee.

Open and honest communication effective

“Follow the three ‘Cs’ which are context, communication and confirm,” says Brad. “So, you provide the context by outlining your observations and communicating them to the employee and then confirm what those next steps will look like.”

Open and honest communication is an effective approach, and managers should clearly explain the problematic behaviour and how it affects the team or organization. Listening to the employee’s concerns is equally important since talented workers may become frustrated because they feel underappreciated, overworked, or unheard. 

By encouraging two-way communication, managers may discover workplace issues that can be addressed, such as unclear expectations, skill issues, or conflicts within the team.

“As a leader, the first thing I would ask myself is this a skill issue or a will issue?” says Brad. “If it’s a will issue, you’re really trying to manage the performance of the employee. If it’s a skill issue, I always try to look at it from that lens and ask, ‘What do we need to do for this employee to provide them with the skills they need to be successful?’”

He says providing just the right feedback to an employee that may be struggling could instigate positive change, noting the number of tools available to assist managers.

“Nobody applies to a job to be a bad employee,” says Brad. “They had the full intent to be a good contributing employee to that company and something may have happened along the way. There’s so many variables in that.”

Consistency and fairness are essential

At the same time, employers must protect the overall workplace culture and if a talented employee’s behaviour continues to harm co-workers, managers should avoid giving special treatment. Allowing toxic behaviour to continue can damage morale, increase turnover, and create resentment among other employees.

Consistency and fairness are essential to maintaining a healthy work environment.

“The employee and employer relationship is so important and people have to be the right fit,” says Brad. “Ultimately, if they’re not the right fit you need to make that decision. You owe it to the organization and the people around it.”

He says measuring the entire picture of how that difficult employee affects the whole workplace, not just that employee’s KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), must be considered.

“Typically, if you start looking at client and customer engagement with that employee, and all those different areas and not just a singular focal point, the cost to the organization could be far greater than the contribution of that employee to the organization.”

Through communication, clear expectations, coaching, and fairness, organizations can often help these employees improve while preserving a positive workplace culture.

Tips to consider when dealing with a talented but difficult employee

Address the issue early

Employers should not ignore problematic behaviour simply because the employee performs well. Meeting with the employee early helps prevent conflicts from becoming worse.

Communicate clearly and professionally

Managers should explain the specific behaviours causing concern, such as poor teamwork, disrespectful communication, or missed deadlines. Feedback should focus on actions and their impact on the team rather than attacking the employee personally.

Set clear expectations

Employers should outline workplace standards and explain what changes are expected. Clear goals for communication, co-operation, and professionalism help the employee understand what improvement looks like.

Listen to the employee’s perspective

Sometimes difficult behaviour is caused by stress, misunderstandings, workload issues, or feeling undervalued. Giving the employee a chance to explain their concerns can help identify solutions.

Provide support and coaching

Employers can offer mentoring, leadership training, conflict-resolution workshops, or communication coaching. These supports can help talented employees improve interpersonal skills.

Create a performance improvement plan

A written plan with measurable goals, timelines, and regular check-ins helps hold the employee accountable while giving them a fair opportunity to improve.

Maintain fairness and consistency

Workplace rules should apply equally to everyone. Giving special treatment to talented employees can hurt team morale and create resentment among co-workers.

Adjust roles if appropriate

If teamwork is a challenge, employers may consider assigning the employee to more independent tasks where their strengths can still benefit the organization.

Take disciplinary action if necessary

If the employee refuses to improve after repeated support and warnings, employers may need to use formal discipline or termination to protect the workplace culture and team productivity.