If you're a manager or a business owner you'll have experience of many different types of employees. Leadership is not a skill you can learn and then forget about, it needs constant re-evaluation according to the people you manage.
We've put together some of the more popular types of employee and the health and safety risks they pose for your business. As you know, health and safety is of paramount importance in the workplace these days as it doesn't just pose the threat of accidents, it can also bankrupt a business!
The 'Know it All'
We all have a know it all in our lives, unfortunately, in the workplace this type of person is a risk. They don't want to learn, why should they, they know it all anyway? They will obviously have some benefits for the business but they do need special handling, or one on one training so they listen when given updates about health and safety legislation.
The 'Keen to Learn'
The employee that's keen to learn is an absolute dream for most managers but not if they've got a LOT to learn. Health and safety often relies on people using common sense or acting on their own initiative and Mr or Mrs Keen to learn may not trust their own instincts.
The 'Something to Prove'
The employee that has something to prove has fire in their belly and could go far but their own personal ego trip blinds them to the hazards around them. They need careful handling and the blinkers taking off so they can see the bigger health and safety picture.
The 'Just Enough'
There are too many of these types of employee, these are the ones that will never excel as they're happy to do just enough. Unfortunately good health and safety practice often needs people to go beyond the book and do things out of their own remit occasionally. Fortunately incentives in the form of bonuses or double time can motivate the Mr or Mrs Just Enough. You may also want to consider building a bit of loyalty so they feel as though your company is partly their own, training can help here.
The 'Scorned'
Every workplace has fragile relationships. The two men who can't stand to be in the same room. The woman who's scorned because she didn't get the promotion but her nemesis did. Working as a team though is essential to health and safety. Will Mr or Mrs Scorned warn their enemy when they see they're about to trip and fall? Revenge can be sweet but not when it's you who picks up the pieces!
The 'Quiet One'
The quiet ones often get on with their job without complaint. They won't speak up though when they notice something out of place which can be a hazard for health and safety. Investing in training can help as it could give the quiet one a voice along with the confidence that they know what's best for your business.
The 'Spoilt One'
The spoilt one expects people to clean up their mistakes (and their dirty coffee cups) without complaint. This is fine if they bring their own personal butler to work. Unfortunately, even a dirty bathroom in the workplace can now incur fines in an inspection, so Mr or Mrs Spoilt really need to learn how to take responsibility for their own actions, and how to do their own washing up!
Have we missed anyone out? Our training caters for all types of individuals and we know how to get the best out of people regardless of how they operate in the workplace.
