Need help with a job dilemma

Rockets34Life

FYI - This post is going to be long, so if you reply to this thread, please read this post 1st thoroughly so you have an idea of the drama.

I work in the telecom industry, but handle desktop administration (desktop support). There is me and one other individual (let's call him Bob) that supports an office of close to 800 people. I'm full-time with the company and the other individual is a contractor. I came on board with the company in July 2012. Bob came on board November 2012.

Here's a little background about me. My mentality going into this position, even when I was contracting from July 2012 to August 2013, was to handle the business. I was very close in July 2013 to quit and look for something full-time so I can have benefits to help my family. Luckily a full-time position opened, so I lucked out. To this day, I love this job, I love the environment, and the employees here are happy that I'm here assisting them. The past co-workers didn't like my manager and decided to either quit or was terminated because they couldn't fulfill the role. I like my manager, but that's because I have a tolerance for him and put up w/ his b.s.

Unfortunately, the only problem with my job is Bob. He is still contracting. He came from a managed services provider job, so working by himself was what he was used to. He has wanted to be full-time from day 1, but my manager couldn't bring him on full-time due to budget, no requisitions open for full-time, and also his work issues.

Because of this, he has been a moody and upset, which has put a strain on our working relationship. He has told me straight out that because of the situation he is in, he is going to continue working this job with a "I don't give a crap attitude". Unfortunately, since the position is desktop administration....he fails BIG on the administration part. He clearly fits the role as a PC technician (only wants to resolve issues, not deal with the customer service aspect / administration part of the role).

Here's a few of the awesome highlights he's put together since being here -

- Huge lack of communication with team
- Bends rules when there are processes/procedures in place
- Prefers being in office instead of assisting users at their desk
- Works tickets w/o assigning it to himself....well, that has sort of improved in the past few weeks
- Never assists or volunteers to help the team with administrative duties

Now that I have mentioned a little bit about Bob, here's the dilemma I have. We also have a team in another surburb that is looking for the same full-time position that I'm in. Bob actually lives in this city and it would be a good fit for him. I also know the whole team and I would feel bad having Bob work with them.....but he would also be out of my hair, so I hope he goes ASAP.

Last month, my manager recently saw a headcount of how many people we have in our office and was blown away of how many people we support. It really isn't bad, but he he's blowing the situation out of proportion. So he starts whining to Sr. management about needing an extra person for our team. In the 2 1/2 years I have been here, I started out with a team of 4, then team of 3, and now just me and Bob. Extra people other than me and Bob has always been trouble (training issues, personality problems, technical deficiencies, lack of commitment, etc.). He came by this morning saying that he got approval for a 3rd person and he will be bringing in that person as a full-timer. I tried to get more info out of my manager about this, but he shut me down and doesn't want to go further than what he has told us. Bob, according to my manager, has a chance to go after this extra full-time role, which I'm dead against, but I haven't told my manager about it. My manager has also mentioned that we could bring in someone from the outside as a full-time person and leave Bob as a contractor, which I know he would be super pissed about.

The highlights I listed is part of a document I have put together over the past 1 1/2 months of how he is and what he has done. I also have dates listed of duties he didn't do or things he screwed up that would piss my manager off. I want to present this info to my manager so he won't consider him full-time, but I don't want it to backfire on me. Plus, even if it backfires on me, Bob will also get a whiff of me narcing on him, which I'm pretty sure Bob will make my life hell in the office.

So....any advice on what can be done about all this?

NetworkNewb

Bob wants to be promoted to full time but does a shitty job at his current position because he isn't getting that promotion. Bob isn't very bright. Bob does not deserve to be promoted with his backward thinking.

I would recommend my manager to leave Bob as contractor and find someone with a better attitude.

Rockets34Life

Unfortunately, my manager is very prideful and thick headed. Anything I say to him on personnel issues, he doesn't give a crap about it. I don't want Bob to get the full-time role and just want him to move on. Unfortunately, Bob is such a lazy bum that he wants to continue as a contractor here....which I have no clue why.

Another note - I haven't communicated with Bob much for 1 1/2 months (an average of 1-2 sentences per week). When I started the silence towards him, he wanted to talk it out and figure out what's going on. I thought, "What's the point? He isn't going to listen to anything and continue the same crap that he does." I'm just tired of him and just want him gone.

Xavor

Can you apply for the other fulltime position in the other city?

It sounds like management likes to pay for crap work. If you hire him fulltime, he won't change his ways. Since you say he's barely a PC technician, talk to management about requiring certifications or degrees for the position.

Get your resume ready, because it sounds like even if you do approach management they don't listen and would rather keep a mediocre contractor over their own staff.

Rockets34Life

I like the location where I work. I'm only 10 minutes away from my house.

He's a good PC technician, but he doesn't fulfill the overall desktop administrator role. I'm not understanding this statement - Since you say he's barely a PC technician, talk to management about requiring certifications or degrees for the position.

The difference between me and him is I'm living the values of my company. He is the total opposite. I don't want to get my resume ready. He needs to get his ready to get the hell out. I can deal with my manager and his crap, but unfortunately, everything I have posted, he doesn't know. I want him to know so he can know how much a mediocre contractor he has. But the backfire.....that's what I'm worried about.

jjs1234

Not to sound like a dick, but then again... you should have him canned. Hes a contractor. Their is no liablity for doing so. Seriously. Tell your boss you should pick out a team yourself.

Rockets34Life

So my co-worker is out this week. Should I approach my manager with the details in my original post?

I'm kind of afraid to because:

1) it might backfire on me and;
2) my current relationship with my co-worker will get worse.

But I need to do something because it's getting out of hand. The more and more I find things he fails on, the hate of working with him grows.

vmixer

Rockets34Life wrote: »

Unfortunately, my manager is very prideful and thick headed. Anything I say to him on personnel issues, he doesn't give a crap about it. I don't want Bob to get the full-time role and just want him to move on. Unfortunately, Bob is such a lazy bum that he wants to continue as a contractor here....which I have no clue why.

Another note - I haven't communicated with Bob much for 1 1/2 months (an average of 1-2 sentences per week). When I started the silence towards him, he wanted to talk it out and figure out what's going on. I thought, "What's the point? He isn't going to listen to anything and continue the same crap that he does." I'm just tired of him and just want him gone.

Then play the office politics and let your manager make the decision. And whatever you try to get your Manager to do (hire,fire, etc) he needs to think it is HIS idea and take all the credit.

I wouldn't say anything unless approached, and if and when you are asked tell him what you think is best for the company and why. Instead of saying why Bob is Bad. Tell him why Someone New would be Better. Leave bob out of it completely if you can. Only say you want someone from the outside and find reasons why someone from the outside would be better then bob. NOT THAT YOU DONT LIKE BOB. An if you get a third person, great!! You have someone to deal with Bob for you.

I would never want to have a hand in someone being let go, unless I was in HR. It's a small world. You might see Bob or someone he knows at another job. Don't be "that guy who got someones contract terminated" NO ONE likes that guy.

and in office politics, being liked is better then being "right" or "good"

I reiterate what someone else said. Get your resume ready

cruwl

Can you pull any reports on tickets worked/closed or anything? show you're doing 3x or 4x as much work as bob? Maybe make the way you approach your boss less about getting bob fired, maybe point out to make you the team lead or something?

And if you have been putting up with this for 2 years now, hes not changed, and your team has shrunk by 2 people in that time that have not been replaced.... the writing is on the wall.... management doesn't seem to care much about your team or position.

pramin

I agree with vmixers line of reasoning.

Also based on your write up; it doesn't seem like you have any "management" or "team lead" duties; so I would tread lightly.

mctwist

I have a colleague like this, except he's not really a good tech. He hides it by using "tech" words, which to some staff sounds like he's knowledgeable. Of course a bunch of them are on to him.

In my case we are both permanent employees, and he ranks above me. He'll close tickets with "done and tested" or a minimum of documentation, which amounts to zero.

In this case, management knew he was full of it, but couldn't do much. Now after a big reorganization, I'm not sure management is aware of his limitation.

Just like you, I've grown really tired of his bs. I'm leaving on a few weeks for a better position, more responsabilities and down the road, a higher pay scale.

I know you love the job, but I used to like mine too. I know he is not leaving, but I am. Start looking elsewhere if he stays, don't be miserable because of him.

Rockets34Life

vmixer wrote: »

Then play the office politics and let your manager make the decision. And whatever you try to get your Manager to do (hire,fire, etc) he needs to think it is HIS idea and take all the credit.

I wouldn't say anything unless approached, and if and when you are asked tell him what you think is best for the company and why. Instead of saying why Bob is Bad. Tell him why Someone New would be Better. Leave bob out of it completely if you can. Only say you want someone from the outside and find reasons why someone from the outside would be better then bob. NOT THAT YOU DONT LIKE BOB. An if you get a third person, great!! You have someone to deal with Bob for you.

I would never want to have a hand in someone being let go, unless I was in HR. It's a small world. You might see Bob or someone he knows at another job. Don't be "that guy who got someones contract terminated" NO ONE likes that guy.

and in office politics, being liked is better then being "right" or "good"

I reiterate what someone else said. Get your resume ready

I don't want a hand in him being fired or quitting. I have offered my communication number of times, but because of the fact he isn't a full-time employee, he doesn't really give a crap about the company, the team, and the job. I have tried my best to helpful as a co-worker, but he's just a stubborn person that is jealous that I'm full-time and he isn't. He is just doing what he can for the job at a minimum level and it just doesn't cut it for me as a team member. Like I mentioned before, he is a great technician, but horrible at admin duties.

I would love to prep my resume for another job, but the job I have is a needle in a haystack. It took me 11 years to find a job like this that I can excel at and is close to home. Fighting that traffic everyday was brutal and stressful. I have played the office politics, but it looks like from your advice, I might have to continue playing it and just have to keep picking up the slack that my co-worker fails on.

cruwl wrote: »

Can you pull any reports on tickets worked/closed or anything? show you're doing 3x or 4x as much work as bob? Maybe make the way you approach your boss less about getting bob fired, maybe point out to make you the team lead or something?

And if you have been putting up with this for 2 years now, hes not changed, and your team has shrunk by 2 people in that time that have not been replaced.... the writing is on the wall.... management doesn't seem to care much about your team or position.

Unfortunately, my manager is a numbers guy. His numbers are decent that he can't say anything to him about. My manager knows I do 3x to 4x much as work as him. He knows I'm the lead for my team, but I don't have the authority or the job title to tell my co-worker what to do.

He understands he is just a contractor looking for a full-time role, but he also knows my co-worker hasn't proven to him to get a full-time position on our team. About man count, I actually like it better where it is just me and my co-worker. We have had a full 4 man team in the past, but unfortunately, the other 2 have been dead weight that we have had to carry. My manager is looking for an extra person right now, but it's just going to have to be stricter interviewing on our part to make sure we have the right person for our team.

pramin wrote: »

I agree with vmixers line of reasoning.

Also based on your write up; it doesn't seem like you have any "management" or "team lead" duties; so I would tread lightly.

Thanks for your useless input, pramin. You don't know a thing about me other than the rant in my original post. If you want to post, post something that would actually help me, not criticize my job role or just being a person complaining like any other normal person would.

mctwist wrote: »

I have a colleague like this, except he's not really a good tech. He hides it by using "tech" words, which to some staff sounds like he's knowledgeable. Of course a bunch of them are on to him.

In my case we are both permanent employees, and he ranks above me. He'll close tickets with "done and tested" or a minimum of documentation, which amounts to zero.

In this case, management knew he was full of it, but couldn't do much. Now after a big reorganization, I'm not sure management is aware of his limitation.

Just like you, I've grown really tired of his bs. I'm leaving on a few weeks for a better position, more responsabilities and down the road, a higher pay scale.

I know you love the job, but I used to like mine too. I know he is not leaving, but I am. Start looking elsewhere if he stays, don't be miserable because of him.

Thanks for your input, mctwist. I really value his technical skills, but he knows this position also involves IT administrative duties. He also does the minimum documentation in tickets or really doesn't put anything in the ticket when closing it. He is just appeasing my manager to make sure he is closing a number of tickets and having the right percentages to acheive or exceed the goal.

If the right position came by where it was a full-time position with benefits, same amount of pay, and in the same location, I'm down. Unfortunately, in this day and age, I think I'll land another contract role and play the waiting game like my co-worker to be full-time. I'm just hoping he lands the full-time position that's available or finds another position with another company. Either way, I'm just done with him.