What to do when you have an annoying intern?

dominatrix1 · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:06

I work for a startup company and recently got an intern to help as my workload was getting a bit too much. It started off quite well ok and he was doing a good job but as time has gone on hes getting lazier and lazier and when I ask him to do something he doesnt do it and tells me its a bad idea.

Im not really sure what to do Its got to the point where I kind of stop talking to him. He's a marketing intern so when I ask him what hes's got planned he just says outreach where its quite hard to show tangible success

neil3k · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:09

sack him

DaleTheWhale · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:12

Time for a displinary meeting if hes not doing work thats hes allocated or refusing to do it.

Deus Ex · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:19

Push him out a window.

Malevolence · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:20

Kill him, freeze his corpse and for the next few years post pieces of him to his family on his birthday.

Edrof · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:20

Too many people are scared to confront bad workers, that's why lazy and incompetent people are everywhere. Drives me mad. Tear him a new one.

NMBlack · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:23

Has anyone suggested poo in his pigeonhole?

Paid or unpaid intern?

Sliver · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:26

Deus Ex said:
Push him out a window.

I'm not sure defenestration is the way forward. Maybe a reach-around would be more effective.

Wink · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:34

ThaReaperGuy said:
Time for a displinary meeting if hes not doing work thats hes allocated or refusing to do it.

Indeed.

To the OP, you're also not doing your job if you don't manage his poor performance.

Malevolence · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:36

Sliver said:
I'm not sure defenestration is the way forward. Maybe a reach-around would be more effective.

True story. That was the subject of one of the questions in our pub quiz a few years back, much hilarity ensued when a female student on another team was overheard, quite loudly, asking what killing the rain forests had to do with the death of Jezebel.

Sliver · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:37

Malevolence said:
True story. That was the subject of one of the questions in our pub quiz a few years back, much hilarity ensued when a female student on another team was overheard, quite loudly, asking what killing the rain forests had to do with the death of Jezebel.

I'm going to believe you despite what Tony Blair says about you.

Roar87 · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:42

Are you paying him?

skyripper · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:56

OPs username doesnt match with OPs actions.

Whats his motivation to do things? To get paid, to learn, to progress, to do a worthwhile job. If he's not ticking enough of these, you wont get him/her to change.

MrMoonX · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:58

Pay him a decent wage and maybe get an employee rather than exploiting an internship

Haggisman · 5 Mar 2015 at 19:58

Are you a citrus fruit?

scorza · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:00

ThaReaperGuy said:
Time for a displinary meeting if hes not doing work thats hes allocated or refusing to do it.

Given the OP's name, I suggest 24 strokes of the cane and some extra hard nipple clamps should do the trick.

Sliver · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:01

Haggisman said:
Are you a citrus fruit?

I think so. Probably a kumquat.

[FnG]magnolia · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:11

A marketing intern? So he's practicing for when he can add genuinely nothing of any value to any organization unlucky enough to employ him?

Tell him to get the stuff done and whilst constructive input is fine, refusing to do work is not. I imagine there are a lot of other interns who would jump at the chance he's ruining.

Nevakonaza · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:32

MrMoonX said:
Pay him a decent wage and maybe get an employee rather than exploiting an internship

This.

SPG · 5 Mar 2015 at 20:39

Aside from the intern have zero moral fibre in the first place for actually taking a intern position and that A his parents are well off anyway so he can actually do his work.

First thing Monday morning take him and you into your managers office, shut the door and say exactly what you have said in the post then get him to justify why he thinks its a bad idea. Then shoot his arguments down in flames with your knowledge of the job taking on-board his comments if they are rel-vent.

After all that ask him to leave the office and shut the door, then let your manager know more of your feelings on the matter.

The intern wont mind one bit as his parents are rich either way. So do what you must to make yourself look professional on the matter so you come up shining.

Interns deserve to be treated like cack for taking up a un-paid position in the first place shows a lack of any character or morals.

I hate them and treat them all like battery chickens.