Let's be honest, employees can be problematic on many levels — even personal. Ask any manager, and they'll have no shortage of stories about the difficulties that arise when supervising employees who are not only difficult to deal with, but also who they simply don't like.

In a perfect world, everyone would work well together and enjoy each other's company. Unfortunately, the reality is that there will always be employees who just seem to make your if-there's-a-zombie-apocalypse-they'd-be-the-first-to-go list.

Maybe she chews gum too loudly, maybe he always brings fish for lunch, maybe she really worships Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez and — no matter how much you try to tell them it's over — she just refuses to move on. The reasons for employee hatred are numerous and, in many cases, understandable.

Seeing as how you can't simply stop doing your job as manager because an employee gives you a case of the "icks," learning to deal with irritating subordinates is imperative. Here are several things managers in such unenviable positions should keep in mind:

Why be friends?

Contrary to what one would assume, liking all of your direct reports isn't necessarily a good thing. In fact, it can make your job harder to be friends with everyone who reports to you.

Having a favorable bias can impede a manager's ability to think objectively and critically of an employee. In situations where disciplinary actions may be a part of your job description, a certain amount of detachment may be necessary.

So if you find yourself bemoaning a lack of connection between you and those that report to you, first ask whether this connection is even necessary. Being friendly with subordinates is fine, but don't convince yourself that you have to be buddies with everyone. Managers have a certain responsibility to keep those in their charge at arm's length.

Tag-team champs

If things get really contentious, there's nothing wrong with asking for help.

As a manager, you should have a personal hierarchy of your direct reports. It's also not a bad idea to use your "second in command" in situations where your judgement, for personal reasons, may be compromised. Of course, any employee you assign such responsibilities should be prepared and competent for the role, even if it's only temporary.

It's also important to understand the risk of passing any subordinate around, from manager to manager. If the employee feels you're pawning him or her off on someone else, he or she may become offended, compiling your issues.

However, if all is fine, the benefits are many. While giving you a break from your "problem" employee, your second in command can gain valuable management experience. The arrangement can also give the employee in question an opportunity to interact with someone other than yourself.

Perhaps he or she isn't a problem to anyone but you. And that brings us to the next thought.

Psst ... maybe it's you

Look, no one's perfect. The hardest thing to do when confronted with adversity is to look inward, but self-examination is sometimes the only answer to dealing with conflict — especially when it's embarrassingly one-sided.

So she chews gum too loudly? And what exactly do you have against lunch? And hey, maybe Bieber and Gomez are just on a break? The point is that your issues with this employee may have more to do with you than anyone else.

Ben Dattner, an organizational psychologist and author of "The Blame Game," explained in a Harvard Business Review article that managers who are in these situations should ask themselves the following questions:

• Is the problem the individual or someone they remind me of? "You can have a competent person who looks like your unkind aunt, and suddenly she can do no right."
• Am I afraid of being like this person? If your direct report constantly interrupts people, for example, and you worry you do too, you may react more strongly.
• Is this person a member of a group with which I have issue? This question gets into a whole host of prejudices and possible legal issues, but you need to be honest with yourself about any hidden biases you may have. "Try to unpack what this person represents to you."

In all seriousness

Aside from all the jokes and the exaggerated threats of employee-cide, there are real legal dangers that can come into play when managers let their personal feelings affect their perception of subordinates.

For one, if a manager harbors negative feelings toward an employee, it's important that he or she not allow these feelings to permeate into reviews or manifest into unnecessary disciplinary actions. Managers also must be aware how they act around these employees in question, considering that any perceived difference in treatment can affect morale and employee performance tremendously.

If things become really bad, workplace mediation may be the best option.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, "Mediation is an informal and confidential way for people to resolve disputes with the help of a neutral mediator who is trained to help people discuss their differences. The mediator does not decide who is right or wrong or issue a decision. Instead, the mediator helps the parties work out their own solutions to problems."

In the end, it's the manager's responsibility to ensure he or she is approaching the job's responsibilities objectively so as not to negatively affect job performance and without undermining managerial authority. And although this isn't the easiest thing to do when you may not like a specific employee, it should be comforting to know that all-out murder never has to be an option.

Unless they keep pushing the whole Bieber/Gomez thing ... because anyone with sense can tell she can do better.