Dealing with a temporary employee's negative attitude is tough. How can you turn around team morale?

First, address the issue promptly and privately with the temporary employee to understand their concerns and expectations. Encourage open communication and provide constructive feedback to help them align with team values and goals. Foster a positive work environment by recognizing and celebrating team achievements. Engage the team in problem-solving discussions to collectively address any underlying issues contributing to negativity. Lastly, lead by example with a positive attitude and encourage collaboration and mutual respect among team members to restore morale and maintain productivity.

Identify the issue Understand the impact of the issue and prioritize problem-solving. Brainstorm solutions Get a group together with a common goal to help you see problems from different angles. Involve others When addressing performance issues, involve the team member in setting goals, identifying root causes, and developing an action plan. When implementing solutions, start with the people most affected by the problem and then move on to those who are less affected. Evaluate solutions After implementing a solution, make sure it solves the problem and meets the business' needs. Monitor progress Check progress, provide feedback, and address any issues or concerns to ensure the resolution is effective

Address the Issue Directly: Have a private conversation with the employee to discuss their behavior. Be specific about the negative behaviors you’ve observed and explain how they are affecting the team. Sometimes, temporary employees might not be aware of how their attitude is impacting others. Understand the Root Cause: Try to understand why the employee is exhibiting a negative attitude. It could be due to personal issues, misunderstanding of their role, or feeling undervalued. Addressing the root cause can often lead to a resolution. Set Clear Expectations: Make sure the employee understands what is expected of them in terms of behavior and performance.

Celebrate differences: Highlight and celebrate what makes each person unique. Communicate regularly: Employees feel included when they feel heard. Give people a voice: Allow everyone to influence the decision-making process. Form an inclusion council: Create a diverse team of employees to guide your company's initiatives. Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): These employee-led groups can help embrace differences and commonalities. Address unconscious bias: Unconscious bias can unfairly disadvantage minority groups, so addressing it can help create a more inclusive workforce. Accept critical feedback: Feedback is important for building an innovative workplace, and employees should feel comfortable openly discussing their ideas with management.

I tell my contractors all the time, "my job is to get you hired in direct." Set the stage for open dialogue and communication early on in the recruitment process...before they even start on assignment. Be personable, honest, and available from jump street and you will notice a major difference in their attitude and communication. They will not want to let you down and will be more open to asking you for help before they consider jumping ship to something else. This will lead to happier contractors (not temps...I despise that word as it creates a shirts and skins environment), as well as more billable hours for you and your company. Everyone wins!