How to Know if You’re a Bad Boss

10 signs you’re a bad boss

This list features 10 traits that are common in bad bosses. If you find yourself engaging in more than one of these behaviors, you could be a bad boss. The good news, of course, is you’ll know exactly where you can start improving as a leader. 

1. Bad bosses overwork their best employees.

Overworking your employees is never a good thing, but managers often make the mistake of forcing the lion’s share of the work onto their best people. This makes your employees feel like they’re being punished for their hard work. Overwork can contribute to employee burnout among your most talented team members.

It’s not practical or feasible to expect employees to work 40-plus hours a week for someone who doesn’t care about them beyond their productivity and output. One of the best ways to show you care is by empowering your employees to expand their skills constantly, push themselves beyond their comfort zones and pursue professional development. Consider using a tool like a skills matrix to keep track of your team’s competencies and maximize successes.

If you need a member of your team to take on a more significant workload or put in additional hours, it’s only fair to compensate them with a raise, promotion, title change or all three. Talented employees usually are willing to take on a more demanding workload, but you’ll lose them if they feel they’re being overworked and not fairly compensated or appreciated.

2. Bad bosses don’t recognize contributions or reward good work.

Never underestimate the power of a verbal pat on the back, such as “Well done!” or “Great job!” Your top team members ─ who are already self-motivated to perform at their best ─ will push themselves consistently if their efforts are recognized.

Keeping employees happy is one of the best ways to ensure your company’s success. For a manager, a large part of keeping employees happy is striking the right balance of professionalism and empathy. 

Great bosses celebrate their employees’ successes, challenge them to learn and grow and acknowledge and empathize when they’re going through a rough time. Of course, this confidence-boosting culture could empower some employees to explore other career avenues that interest them more, but it’s important to show you care about their success even when they move on to their next opportunities.

Get to know your employees’ strengths at work and outside of work. Ask deeper questions to understand their career goals and passions. Then, even if you can’t give your employee a raise or promotion, you might be able to give them a unique project or have them head a committee that leads to better opportunities down the road.

3. Bad bosses don’t honor their commitments.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make ─ in business and life ─ is not keeping your word. With each commitment you uphold to your employees, you become more trustworthy and dependable in their eyes.

If you fail to keep your promises, your employees may come to see you as uncaring. And since you don’t honor the promises you’ve made, why should they feel any sense of loyalty to you?

4. Bad bosses hire and promote the wrong people.

Hardworking employees want to work with like-minded individuals. If you don’t put the time and effort into hiring good people to join the team ─ or, even worse, if you promote the wrong people ─ it can be a massive slap in the face to your high-quality workers.

This is especially true when you hire or promote a poor employee to a management position. In a survey of United States business managers by workplace learning company Grovo, 98% said their fellow company managers needed more training in essential and interpersonal skills.  

“When ineffective managers are moving in and up, companies should consider that a development red flag,” said Joris Luijke, the former vice president of people at Grovo. “Quality management is one of the biggest predictors of employee engagement, productivity and company culture. Organizations can shorten the learning curve by identifying the specific behaviors of their best managers and delivering bite-sized, engaging learning experiences that turn knowledge into actions.”

5. Bad bosses micromanage.

Managers are in a leadership position because they know the company and often excel at their work. However, this dedication and knowledge can also drive a boss to micromanage employees to ensure perfection. They might even fear delegating tasks because they think they’ll be blamed if an employee drops the ball. 

However, fear isn’t a management strategy. It’s critical to hire employees you believe will meet or exceed your expectations so you can trust them to complete the work. Encourage growth by letting your employees make mistakes so they can self-correct and learn.

6. Bad bosses take all the credit.

Say you have a fantastic team that has worked extra hours to complete an important project, going above and beyond. As a result, the project is a success and everyone is celebrating. That happy atmosphere is due to the sense of shared accomplishment.

Don’t be the boss who takes all the credit for a team effort. Instead, show employees your appreciation. Take time to thank all team members who contributed and praise them publicly. The more appreciated your employees feel, the more effort they’ll put into future projects.

7. Bad bosses don’t deal with conflict.

As a boss, it’s your job to ensure your team runs smoothly. Unfortunately, if you’re never willing to confront conflict, you may find yourself out of a leadership position. It’s crucial to engage with your employees before any tense situations get out of hand.

Keep an eye on disrespectful employees and watch for discrimination or bullying among team members. Promote a culture of inclusion and ethical behavior. 

If there’s a conflict between your employees, take a mediation approach, speaking with each involved team member individually to get an accurate picture of the entire situation. The sooner you deal with a conflict, the more you can improve team morale.

The way you handle conflict makes an impression on your employees. If they see you approach problems calmly and fairly, they are more likely to confide in you when they have an issue with a coworker, their position or their professional relationship with you.

8. Bad bosses fail to set expectations.

If you are good at not micromanaging, make sure you haven’t strayed too far to the other side. While employees prefer to make their own mistakes, manage their own time and reach their own accomplishments, there’s a reason a team needs a manager.

A good boss sees the big picture. They understand the overall project at hand and delegate tasks to complete the job using each team member’s strengths.

It’s essential to communicate each team member’s role, work quotas and the tools necessary to finish each project. Clear expectations will help keep your employees engaged and productive.

9. Bad bosses don’t advocate for their employees.

Employee retention is a growing problem in many industries and job types, including manufacturers and warehouses, hospitality and restaurants, digital skills and hourly positions. 

You must advocate for your best workers if you want to keep them. If employees are giving 110% and don’t receive praise, appropriate compensation or advanced opportunities for their work, they will move on to a company that does recognize and appreciate their contributions. [Read related: How to Manage and Improve Employee Retention]

10. Bad bosses don’t welcome new ideas.

Good bosses listen to their employees. While you might not want to implement every idea your employees suggest, you should still consider their input. Your workers are in the trenches day in and day out. They probably understand workplace efficiency and morale on a deep level.

If employees feel stifled at work, they may start feeling restrained in their personal lives too, leading to a lack of confidence or desire to move forward in their careers. To foster a culture of collaboration and creativity, make sure your team knows that you are open to feedback and appreciate constructive criticism or suggestions. 

Grow from bad boss to great leader

Leadership is a process. The best leaders consistently learn, grow and self-evaluate. Even if you think you haven’t made any of the obvious blunders on this list, use these examples as a guide to ensure you’re an effective and fair leader for your team.

Many great leaders claim they learned what not to do based on experiences with their previous managers. Respecting your employees and treating them well goes a long way toward their happiness and success, your success as a manager and the overall success of your company.

Tejas Vemparala contributed to this article.