Co-worker tells me he cannot keep up [closed]

Question

I got something like this from a co-worker:

I can no longer keep up with things here. I just don't know how to approach tasks and I also have now clue how to catch up with things here.

To me, this really sounds like "inner resignation" and I already told my boss about that, but nothing happend yet.

Till now, I was giving him advice and assigned tasks to him that are important for us right now, but his performance continues to be inferior compared to other co-workers.

On the other hand, I don't think my co-worker is totally aware of his (serious) situation.

How can I help my coworker improve?

1. Just do nothing is perfectly viable for me at this point, as my boss is aware of this.

2. Talk to my coworker and ask him, what he wants to do in the future? I.e. making him aware that he already resigned sort of.

3. Continue to support him by mentoring, providing ideas and guidelines.

4. Getting HR involved. And then bad things will happen.

Some additional information:

1. I'm just a co-worker that knows some details.

2. He is a peer, but a junior from a technical pov.

3. I won't involve HR.

Answer 1

Assuming you want to grow your coworker into a valuable teammate and colleague, there are some things you can do.

The first thing to realize is it seems that your coworker is suffering from both a crisis of confidence and motivation. The best way I have found to address that is to give them small wins. Cut some simple, small achievable tasks and assign them to your coworker. This will give them a small boost of confidence and make them feel like they are contributing even if it is a not at as high of level as they would like.

Set aside some time, I prefer 2 hours chunks a few times a week, to do some pair programming on some more complex tasks. You will probably have to start off in the lead, but you need to actively get direction from your coworker. The goal here is to again build their confidence in their ability to problem solve, and to develop their skills. So it is important that they contribute. You should at some point transition to where they are driving the programming sessions and you are helping to contribute to their work.

When they get assigned a new task that they say is over their head, break down the task with them. Help them chew it in manageable chunks. Then follow up on their progress with each step. You may even need to help show them some techniques to solve some of the steps and that is ok. It is also ok for them to fail to complete a task if they tried it. But you can not let them sit there floundering for days and not expect them to regress. You have to stay engaged with them, and keep them moving.

Answer 2

HR IS NOT YOUR FRIEND

Getting them involved will also get you personally involved.

This is a matter for your manager to deal with, not you and going to HR will likely be seen as going behind your manager's back and might get YOU put on the short list for being let go.

You have reported up to your manager, that is the end of your obligation. If your coworker reaches out to you again, just tell that coworker to talk to the manager. Remove yourself from the situation entirely and worry about your own work. Anything else could have a negative impact on your own career.

Answer 3

Try not to get too involved. Intervening with your co-worker's self-doubt may not prove very productive, and so option #1 is your best bet. Here's an analysis of the four options you listed:

1. Doing nothing is, as you said, perfectly viable. It requires no additional effort and no risk on your part. Admittedly this is not a particularly sympathetic solution, but it seems fine considering this co-worker is not your responsibility. Besides, if the job is a bad fit, then perhaps leaving and moving on to another position could benefit them in the long run. This is your most rational option of the four.

2. Talking to your co-worker about their future plans is a nice balanced strategy, where you are showing sympathy and being helpful, without significant risk for yourself. Having someone to talk to could help them prioritize their goals, and possibly improve their performance. Just try to keep the discussion informal, and don't commit too much of your work time to these talks. You're not in a position to manage them or dictate what they should do.

3. Serving as this co-worker's mentor is kind, but unwise. You risk placing yourself to accept additional responsibility that you don't need and you don't want. If you genuinely think they have the potential to improve their performance and contribute more, then you could recommend some strategies or resources. But it's not your job to guide them or train them, especially if they consistently anchor the team's progress.

4. Nothing good will be achieved by involving HR. Contacting HR yourself can and will pull you in to however the company decides to handle your co-worker. Also, this scenario doesn't seem to warrant HR intervention. The co-worker's performance issues are best handled by the project manager or their immediate manager, not you and certainly not HR.

Answer 4

I'd say your best options are either one or three. You're not his manager, so it's not your duty to talk to HR. If you like this co-worker or think he has potential, you might try to continue to mentor him, however in the end, only he is responsible for his success.

Firing an employee is never a good thing and should be seen as a failure of management. The manager either failed by hiring the wrong person or by failing to give him the right motivation and mentorship for success. If you think you are capable of turning him around, you would be doing your manager a great service. Just make sure you keep your manager informed about everything you do and don't take anything into your own hands. Also, make sure you don't forsake your own duties by trying to fix a weak link in the chain.

From what you say, it sounds like this person has a bad attitude and I wouldn't want to associate with someone who complains about his situation instead of looking for ways to improve, but in the end, it's up to you. If you aren't sure, ask your manager what to do.

Whatever you do, avoid any situations where management might use collective pronouns to refer to the two of you in a negative way. "They failed to complete this project. They're performance is suffering," etc. On the other hand, comments like "[co-worker] was failing to live up to expectations but user78206 helped him get up to speed" could be very good for you.