5 Actions to Help an Unhappy Employee

Knowing how to help an unhappy employee recover their motivation and positive outlook is a great skill for a manager to have.

Unhappy employees:
1. Tend to be less motivated and produce less
2. They can become disgruntled employees causing all sorts of issues.
3. Unhappy employees make your job of managing the team much harder
4. They are much more likely to leave, with all the disruption and costs this brings

None of these outcomes is good for you, the team, or the business. The good news is many unhappy employees can be moved to a much more positive place with a little work from you.

Before we dive into the 5 actions to help an unhappy employee, it is really useful to know typical signs of an unhappy employee so you can spot an unhappy employee as quickly as possible. I cover 9 key signs of an unhappy employee.

Once you have spotted the signs of an unmotivated employee, then know what actions to take to improve the situation is very helpful.

The first action to help an unhappy employee is to find out the reasons for the unhappiness. It is very hard if not impossible to find a resolution for the employee’s unhappiness unless you know what the issues are. Ask the unhappy employee and listen to what they say.

The second action in how to deal with an unhappy employee is to listen and be empathetic. Your most important job is to actively listen to what the employee is telling you. Don’t rush to provide a solution or get defensive about decisions or actions made. Just listen.

The third action to help an unhappy employee is address the issue you can quickly. Managers are often in the best place to help an unhappy employee. Once you understand what the issues are, address the issues you can as quickly as possible. A number of events and decisions are outside of your control. In this case explain clearly why those decisions or actions were taken and see what you can do to compensate with the employee.

The fourth action to deal with unhappy employees is to be persistent in finding a resolution. It is really easy to give up at a partial resolution or after the employee has vented their anger and frustration. Keep exploring options until you find a good resolution that the employee is happy with.

The fifth action to help an unhappy employee is to keep records. Note down the main points of the conversation and when and where the meeting took place. Most of the time, these notes are not needed. If the employee become disgruntled or problematic, then your notes will be invaluable if you need to run a performance improvement plan or take more formal action.

There is a lot you can do to help and unhappy employee as a manager. Putting in a little time and effort will massive help the unhappy individual AND show the rest of the team you care and will be supportive when needed.


00:00 Intro
01:51 9 Signs of an unhappy employee
03:04 Find out the reasons for the unhappiness
04:28 Listen and be empathetic
05:23 Address the issues you can quickly
07:39 Be persistent in finding a resolution
08:33 Keep records in case the worst happens
09:10 In Summary

Additional videos that you will find useful:
Active Listening Skills for Managers – How to Build & Use Them    • Active Listening Skills for Managers ...  
5 Actions for Effective One-on-One Meetings With Team Members    • 5 Actions for Effective One on One Me...  


If you have any questions on 5 actions to help an unhappy employee, please leave them in the comments section below and I will get back to you.

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