The hider. It may surprise some people how rampant and common this problem is. If you’ve worked in the apartment industry long enough then you know who I’m talking about. It’s the person that you only see when they’re clocking in and clocking out. Or, they’re standing over you blabbing and watching you do all the work. You rarely see them throughout the day doing much of anything.

Where Do They Go?

Through the years, I’ve worked with and observed many hiders and their patterns. It’s amazing how all these different people have the exact same habits. What’s even more amazing is that they think they’re slick and getting away with it! 

 The bathroom. Bathrooms are a major spot for the hider. They all seem to have ailments that require them to spend extra long periods of time in the bathroom. 45 minutes to an hour at least. Most of the time, they hole up in a bathroom after an hour lunch. So, that’s 2 whole hours of not having to do anything. Bathrooms should be the first place to look for a hider. Especially a bathroom that’s far from the office or off in a cut that rarely get’s used. Sometimes, I could hear a movie being played on a phone in there. 

 A vacant apartment. Hiders are professionals at milking a vacant apartment that needs to be turned. A one bedroom apartment can take a hider 3 days to a week to finish. How about a 2 or 3 bedroom apartment? Forget about it. You’re not going to see them for a while! 

 Their own apartment. Giving a hider his or her own apartment on a property they work at is like giving an alcoholic his own liquor store. I’m pretty sure I don’t have to go into depth with this one.

 Off property while clocked in. Sneaking off property for many hours is for the really gutsy, professional hider. These hiders take their sneakiness to another level. It starts out as sneaking away here and there. Then, when they see that they can get away with it, it turns into 3 or 4 days a week.  I’ve worked with some that would leave around 11:00 am and not even come back to clock out at the end of the day!  They would just tell the manager that they goofed and forgot to clock out. Or, have someone they’ve entangled in their drama clock them out.

Look, I don’t mind anyone leaving for a quick 20 minute drive to the store or to run an errand. And, I don’t mind taking a break or having a, “take it easy” day every now and then. I’m not one of those, “go, go, go, bust ass all day every day” kind of guys. Doing that is a one way ticket to burnout city. And being burned out in our service industry has real consequences. Snapping and going off on a co-worker or a resident is a common symptom due to being burned out. And doing that can get you fired.

If you’ve been working hard and there’s nothing pressing in the work order box, then you’ve earned your goof off time to decompress. Well deserved down time doesn’t bother me and in my opinion is a must or you’re going to get burned out. I’ve been to burnout city and it sucks!

But, hiders really get under my skin. They haven’t deserved one second of their goof off time. And rolling up on me when I’m almost finished with a work order and hoping that I put their name on it too, really, really, really, grates against my soul. This is a common habit with all hiders. They’ll stand there and blab away while you do the work order. Or, they’ll roll up on you when you’re almost finished. They’re masters at the art of looking busy and fooling property managers and office staff.

The Good News

If you’re working with a hider right now and it’s driving you crazy, I’ve got good news. They’re going to get exposed. It never fails! All hiders I’ve ever worked with have gotten exposed and fired or moved to a smaller property where they can be watched like a hawk. It’s sad to see grown men who need a baby sitter. 

But, you’re going to have to be patient. Remember, hiders are masters at looking busy. And they’re always overly nice with managers and office staff who get completely fooled for years. The office staff just think he or she is such a great person that pulls their weight for the team. So it’s going to take a while. Sometimes a year or two before they get exposed. So keep calm and be patient!

No man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar – Abraham Lincoln 

That quote is one of my favorites and that’s why all hiders get exposed sooner or later. They can’t keep the lie going forever and karma catches up to them. So hang in there! I know, it seems unfair that you work so hard and this one guy does barely anything and gets a paycheck. But trust me. It always works out in the end.

Conclusion

Just ignore hiders. Be nice and cordial when you have to be in their presence but other than that, just ignore them! Don’t get sucked into their drama. Let them ruin somebody else’s day or career. Not yours. You do your best and keep growing and learning. If you’re not a supervisor and the company doesn’t pay you to baby sit grown ups, then don’t let a hider eat you up with anger. I know, it’s annoying and unfair but don’t let it get to you. That’s like you drinking poison and hoping they get sick from it. Don’t try to get them fired or even pay attention to their immature work habits. They will get themselves fired. Just do your thing and ignore them. That’s how you deal with a hider.

Some say, “Well it sounds like poor training and you should take the hider under your wing and train them.” NOPE. I’ve been down that road and it doesn’t work. You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Hiders don’t want to learn and grow because they know that more knowledge equals more work. If they see some broken A/C work orders in the box, they won’t be able to just put them back into the box and walk away to their hide out if they know how to fix them.

Hiders are at work for one reason only. And that reason is for an easy paycheck for doing as least as possible. They’re not there to learn and excel. So if you’re a supervisor, you should deal with them at the first sign of trouble or they’re going to bring the whole team down. If you’re not a supervisor and there’s nothing you can do. Then just ignore, stay patient, stay calm, and keep getting better. The good guy always wins!

 

 

Related Topics:

Good HVAC Tools For Apartment Maintenance Techs – Link

How A Maintenance Man Saved $30,000 In 4 Years – Link

The Maintenance Man Myth – Link

Going On Call As An Apartment Maintenance Technician – Link

How To Deal With A Goodbye Talker – Link

How To Get Into The Apartment Industry – Link

How To Have A Successful Student Housing Turn Season – Link

Should The Property Management Company Buy Your Tools – Link

 

 

 

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