This time last year I hired 'Bill', someone a little older than I am, to take over some responsibilities I needed to start delegating. Despite his great interview and full understanding of the job requirements, Bill initially did not appear enthused at all about the job or his position, which is very similar to ones he has held before. He is a junior level employee.
Due to some medical issues I have had to take around a day off each week for the past year. During this time, Bill has quickly learned new skills and has stepped up in a small leadership role, and is always asking questions. He has a very aggressive and blunt personality, and will definitely tell you what is on his mind, regardless of who you are.
So good: honest employee that is a quick study and is looking to grow? Terrific. For the past few months however, he has (at least as it seems to me) developed a little of an attitude issue:
Very frequently, he responds to things I ask him to do with a flat,annoyed 'okay', or before I can ask him to do things that he knowsare his responsibilities, he tells me 'Can you go ahead and Do X?',as if he were the manager and I the employee.
He often goes above my head to my manager (CEO) to report things thatare my responsibility (and I have dealt with), without my knowledge.
He complains that I do not keep him abreast of items, (even to theCEO) when we have covered them the day prior and the information isgiven to him daily.
He disregards the fact that management meetings are a thing, andblurts out issues or questions whenever he sees CEO, the answers towhich I would be glad to give him.
He gets involved with other departments' business when he should befocusing on his own work. Asking our sales department if we have anagreement with Client X, "so that he knows when to do his job".(Communication between him and I is always open, so there wouldn't beany time that he wouldn't know 'when to do his job').
Today, as a matter of fact, I asked him to send me pictures of anincident. He replied to me by handing his phone and said 'Here's myphone, shouldn't take you a few minutes to get the pictures off ofit.' He was not otherwise busy at the time.
He has asked during the past week for new responsibilities outside of his wheelhouse and paygrade, as evidently he sees himself as a liaison between myself, my management coworkers, and our CEO. He is not.
Taking the time to 'check on the guys and see how they are doing'when that is not his responsibility and he honestly should not havetime for it with his workload (which is always late).
Recently I have been able to come back to work full time, albeit at an altered schedule, so that Bill is needed to work with our construction manager to get the construction team started in the morning. This he is good at, so I do not mind it.
I am not sure if, somehow, Bill wishes to take my position, which would be surprising, since he always refers to himself as 'Don't ask me, I'm just a lowly X'.
I spoke to our CEO about this issue, and he did not seem supportive at all. I told CEO that I felt Bill was stepping on my toes and needed to stay in his lane, both as his job description and an employee. He seemed dismissive of the whole issue "Don't let it bother you", "People will have different personalities, and you can't help that", and with advice to "just communicate with him" and "be patient". He told me that even though I felt that Bill was disrespecting me, that respect has to be earned. CEO told me to not sit down and talk with Bill about the issue, but instead to, slowly by inches, show Bill what I wanted to happen. He also told me to see what social skills I could learn from Bill. I can't see any. My boss did not help things when he told Bill 'Bill, you're the guy until OP rolls his lazy butt in at 11:00', and that 'OP is really better behind a desk'.
All that being said, I am a big proponent of 'decentralized command' and not having a big hierarchy. I am glad that Bill has taken initiative and has expanded his worldview, so to speak, about this industry, and many hands make light work. What I am not a proponent of is being disrespected and Bill's attitude.
I am not sure what I need to do. Bill does quality work, and is a great help when I need him in the mornings, but he does not show respect to me (or really anyone else) and is quite rude. Management (I feel) is dismissive of my issues. I am not sure if I need to talk to management about my own job role now and in five years.
What does Workplace think I should do? I am feeling demoralized.
