4 Guys That Should NOT Be On Your Payroll

4 Guys That Should NOT Be On Your Payroll

This piece is a sequel to an earlier piece titled “4 Guys That Ought To Be On Your Payroll”. In this post, I will highlight 4 character traits that can destroy a hospital’s image and reputation. Having employees with these traits can affect the quality of your services, reduce your level of productivity and ultimately result in lower profit margins.

These 4 guys are:

·        The Dishonest

·        The Indolent Worker

·        The Chatterbox

·        The Clueless

The Dishonest

Dishonesty means deceitful behavior. The chap who is dishonest is a master at deception. He is the guy who pilfers hospital supplies but denies it when caught. Other employees may use hospital stationery for personal stuff once in a while. But the dishonest guy habitually uses hospital materials, drugs and consumables for personal gain. The dishonest employee will deplete your inventory in Pharmacy, commit financial fraud in Accounting and eventually wreck your hospital. Please don’t employ this guy unless he is ready to be reformed.

The Indolent Worker

No fanciful statements. This guy simply does not want to get off his a** to do anything worthwhile. Ironically, he is not interested in working but wants to get paid. This guy may be the locum doctor who comes in and wants to spend all his assigned hours reading Sports Illustrated. The indolent worker may be the laboratory scientist that always has a reason to travel out of town. He is usually lazy, does not show much interest and puts minimal effort into the job. Apart from reducing productivity, the indolent worker also contributes to increasing your overhead cost. Please let him go before it is too late.

The Chatterbox

Medical business thrives on confidentiality. Patients give out a lot of personal information and they expect you to keep their secrets intact. The Chatterbox doesn’t understand this and talks impulsively. He just can’t stop talking. Patient information management is not part of his work ethics. I told a story some time ago of a hospital attendant and nurse who sat in the Reception area of a hospital during downtime and discussed a patient on admission. They were unaware that her husband was by the corner and heard all the nasty things they said. The man promptly moved his wife out of that hospital and never returned. The damage caused by those two took several months to repair. Be wary of talkative employees, they can “talk down” your reputation in minutes. Though, they may be a good source of informal information about other employees, they cause more harm than good in the long run.

The Clueless

Finally, let’s talk about the guy who just can’t use his head. This guy is a hard worker no doubt, but can only do what he is told to do and no more. Initiation and self-motivation are not just his strong points. He is something like a zombie. He really can’t see beyond his nose, lacks creativity and is largely incompetent when left alone. Sometimes, you need that little bit of initiative impetus to move the job forward. Unfortunately, this guy can’t give you that. If he is on your payroll presently, gently ease him out. He will slow down your growth.

So, go through your employee list and make sure you don’t have the Dishonest, the Indolent Worker, the Chatterbox or the Clueless on your payroll.

Watch out for my post on how to retain your best employees.

See you next time…..