On Bad Attitude.

How could Human Resources spot bad attitudes during the selection process?

A worm at the core may rot the entire apple. Similarly, an employee with a bad attitude may ruin your business.

Employees with bad attitudes are everywhere, at all levels of the organization, from the highest to the lowest position. Their attitude screams for them. They are plain rude. They never smile, are always ready for confrontation, are full of empty excuses, never look you in the eyes, and are always in sour humour. No matter how cheerfully you greet them, they never look you in the eyes. Instead, they look down at the floor and answer you with a grunt, which may mean anything in their language. They cannot even sustain a small talk.

Disgruntled employees with bad attitudes are everywhere: stores, banks, cafes, doctors' offices, public offices, hospitals, schools, hotels, telephone operators, etc.

They have the slightest interest in assisting you in any way. When asked about something, they babble things as their response. Worse, they even build a wall between you and your needs and wants.

Once, in a popular Café, I met one employee whose attitude was so bad that people waiting in line were shocked, but no one complained.

"If you are not having a good day, it is none of these people's fault," I told her softly when I approached the counter. She took my order without looking at me and then turned her back and ignored me.

Everybody has personal problems, yet the workplace is not our home. Co-workers are not our family. Customers are not guilty of your disappointments in life. Therefore, we should not bring our private issues to the workplace. Still, something of our character shows through, no matter the place, work, or responsibilities. We are not perfect. However, a bad attitude can sometimes be the tip of the iceberg. It can hide serious issues that, if left unattended, can affect the employee and the business. A bad attitude is not a joke to laugh at or ignore.

An organization can help its employees with this problem by providing them with trust and education, instilling in them that the weight of the business rests in the employees' positive attitude. But then there must be incentives. And by incentives, I don't mean only a good salary.

However, it also happens that a person with a bad attitude is not the employee but the client, an abusive client. Henceforward, the organization must develop strategies to handle abusive clients without hurting their patronage and to protect their employees.

What else could we do? What would be your approach to this problem? Thank you for reading.