How to deal with uncooperative employees who are dismissive of your authority because of your age?

I’m 24 and a bar/club manager and there’s a few older employees here who don’t take me seriously and refuse to listen to me because they think I’m just dumb because of my age. Or they make fun of the fact that I went to college and assume that I think I’m better than them because of it. I try to be a really nice and supportive boss and I’m rather assertive but it keeps failing. I don’t want to fire them as they are really good at what they do.

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AcidBurn

Fire them. If they can't listen to management they are most definitely not good employees.

Lana24 · 31-35, F

They are great mixologists and customers love them so on a business level it would be a poor decision to fire them :/ @AcidBurn

AcidBurn

@Lana24 I find it hard to believe there aren't equally or more qualified people looking for work. Having employees that disregard management is horrible on the business level.

Lana24 · 31-35, F

I want to give them the opportunity to improve before doing that @AcidBurn

AcidBurn

@Lana24 Then you need to set terms and make them known. They have X amount of time to get their act together before they're looking for a different boss they feel is worth respecting.