Like it or not, a key to being successful in the workplace is learning how to get along with everyone, even the those who drive you crazy.

Call them toxic, call them nuts, call them weird (and sometimes you also call them “boss”), learning how to enjoy your job and do your job well while dealing with difficult coworkers is a great skill to have. However, it’s a skill that usually has to be learned. Here are some tips on how to get along with difficult coworkers.

If your difficult coworker is your boss, you have our sympathy. However since you probably want to keep your job — at least until you can find another one — you’re going to learn how to live with him. Never belittle, confront or yell at your boss. Avoid putting him down with your coworkers when he’s not around because word can and often does leak out.

Troublesome co-workers come in many different forms. There’s the backstabber, taking credit for work you did. There’s the guy who loves to gossip. There’s the drama queen. And let’s not forget the meddler and, possibly the most difficult of co-workers, the take-no-prisoners competitor

In order to alleviate the problem, You should approach a difficult coworker sooner rather than later. Don’t confront and don’t yell. Ask the coworker if the two of you could meet together in private and then bring up your concern. Your conversation might start something like this:

“Steve, I noticed the other day that you told our supervisor that the marketing idea our team came up with was yours. I remember all of us talking about it and brainstorming on it. Perhaps I misheard you. Could you explain your comment to me?”

Or: “Jane, Mary told me that you mentioned to her that my husband and I are having difficulty. Please understand that anything of that nature I tell you is confidential and I hope you won’t do it again May I have your word on that?”

A firm but gentle approach often can work wonders, especially with co-workers who undermine your ideas, authority or privacy. Often, all it takes is a short conversation such as described above for the individual to stop.

In fact, if you can find something — anything — to appreciate or like about a coworker you dislike, comment on it in a positive manner. A little appreciation can go a long way to forging an alliance, allowing the two of you to work together better, even if you never become truly friendly.

Sometimes, though, a heart-to-heart conversation between two professionals doesn’t solve the problem — some people really are petty, self-absorbed, über competitive, etc. If toxic behavior continues, and especially if it starts affecting the quality of your work or even your health, you may have to notify your manager or your company’s human resources department.

If you’re looking for your next terrific position and live in the Bay Area, contact Bayside Solutions. We can help place you in temporary, temp-to-hire and direct placement positions with some of San Francisco’s finest companies.

What business isn’t looking to control expenses? Staffing firms offer many effective solutions for reducing overhead, managing operating costs and improving organizational performance. Used effectively, staffing services can save you more than they cost.

Here are some key ways you can use contract staffing to reduce costs in your organization:

Convert fixed expenses to variable.
Develop a plan to staff your business strategically. Minimize the number of permanent employees on your staff to the level needed to sustain your core volume of work. Proactively plan to bring in extra help when it’s needed.

Bring in expertise on an as-needed basis.
Temporaries can deliver the experience and skills you need without impacting fixed expenses. As an added benefit, temporary “experts” are often less expensive than consultants.

Lower benefits costs.
Limit benefits expense by using temporary employees. Most temporary employees receive only limited benefits which are paid by the temporary staffing service. Companies with extensive benefits programs may not want to offer full benefits to all employees. Using a temporary staffing, payrolling or employee leasing service may make it possible to offer more limited and cost effective benefits programs to these employees.

Eliminate overtime.
Use temporary employees to reduce the amount of overtime worked by your permanent staff.

Reduce training costs.
Reduce training costs and learning curves by bringing in temporary employees who are trained and have experience using the skills you need.

Streamline recruiting.
Use a permanent placement service to eliminate the cost and time involvement associated with advertising, screening resumes, interviewing, testing and reference checking applicants.

Lower payroll expenses.
Eliminate the costs associated with processing and administering your company’s payroll and benefits by using a payroll or employee leasing service.

Reduce unemployment claims.
Using a temporary in place of a short-term employee prevents an unemployment claim from affecting the client company.  Legally, payrolled or leased employees work for the company providing the payrolling or employee leasing service. All claims affect the staffing service’s unemployment rating, not yours.

Eliminate operating inefficiencies.
Inefficient functions can be outsourced to services that can perform the work more effectively. The outsourcing service should be able to reduce expenses and improve performance while allowing your company to focus on its core competencies.

Develop a Strategic Staffing Plan for Your Organization
At Bayside Solutions, we help clients evaluate their current workforce and develop a strategic staffing model to help lower overall employment costs and access the skilled talent they need.  Discover more about Bayside Solutions contract staffing services.