Does Your Boss Have an Annoying Trait? You’re Not Alone

What are annoying boss behaviors?

Did you know that a vast majority of workers say their managers exhibit annoying behaviors? It’s true, according to a ResumeHelp’s comprehensive survey of 1,500 employees which found that 84% of employees have experienced a boss who exhibits bad behavior. So, what are these annoying behaviors and how do they affect employees? Let’s explore this unnerving issue in the workplace and look at ways you as an employee can persevere in spite of annoying boss behavior.

10 common annoying traits of bosses

No matter what job you have—whether you’re a marketing professional, accountant, restaurant server, doctor, lawyer, nurse, or teacher, or in another career field—here are 10 common annoying traits bosses can exhibit:

1. Poor communication

You receive your next assignment, task or client. You work your hardest to do the best job possible in an effective, accurate and timely manner. You submit or present your work only to hear the words, “That’s not what we had in mind.” When you ask your boss why the task has changed, you get the response , “Oh, I guess I didn’t forward you the email with the revised approach.”

2. Micromanaging

You’re sitting at your desk, plugging away at the latest spreadsheet when your boss appears in front of you. Instead of letting you work productively, he’s looking over your shoulder, making comments. It takes every grain of your patience to not say, “Would you rather do the spreadsheet for me?”

3. Takes all the credit

In the middle of the night, you came up with the “idea of the century” to improve sales in your department. You present the idea to your boss, except at the next meeting, your director announces the new sales initiative and credits your boss with your idea. The boss doesn’t correct the error.

4. Poor delegation

You’re juggling three important work tasks simultaneously, so you eat lunch at your desk while continuing to work. The other three team members go out to pick up lunch and shop. As your boss leaves for lunch, he notices you’re the only one in the office, yet has no idea it’s the result of poor delegation of work.

5. Expects perfection

While a boss can expect employees to work efficiently and productively, perfectionism should be treated as an ideal and not a goal. Imagine continually being reprimanded by your boss for the tiniest of errors, and losing confidence in your own work abilities.

6. Provides no feedback

In most companies, you have an annual written review from your boss. However, a good manager should provide positive or negative feedback on a regular basis. Imagine a situation in which you believe you’re doing a good job because no one is saying otherwise, but in reality your boss is taking note of your shortcomings without giving you a heads-up, or advice on how to improve.

7. Poor decision-making

Poor decision-making can come about through lack of confidence, disorganization, ego or a host of other reasons, but the end result is the same: an employee who sits and waits for direction from the boss to proceed with a work project, or is assigned tasks that aren’t the best use of her time.

8. Boss abuses WFH policy

Many companies are transitioning back from remote work arrangements to part-time or full-time work days in the office, but some bosses are guilty of “not getting the memo.” When employees are required to work in-house while the bosses have the convenient option of  working from home it can have a negative effect on overall morale, not to mention employees’ views about how fair and equitable the company is.

9. Negative attitude

Some bosses are never happy. They exhibit a bad temper throughout the day, or run meetings with not one good word to say to attendees. Even the most optimistic employees can feel deflated and unmotivated after constant exposure to a boss who clearly doesn’t enjoy being in the office and working with others.

10. Favoritism

It happens more often than not; one employee gets better treatment from the boss even when the employee doesn’t deserve it. An example could be one server getting more tables to wait on, yielding more tip money than other servers. It could also be an employee that abuses time-off policies or arrives late to work daily, with no consequences from the boss.

5 common effects of annoying behaviors on employees

There is no doubt that the annoying behaviors of a boss can directly affect or influence individual employees as well as a team as a whole. Here are five common effects you may experience:

Lack of motivation

Working for a boss with annoying traits like a negative attitude or micromanaging can certainly lead to motivation issues on the part of the employee. It’s impossible to want to strive to be your best when you’re feeling like no one appreciates your work.

Poor production

A boss who overworks employees is doing more harm to productivity than good. The faster and more hours a team works, the more exhausted and burnt out it becomes. The inevitable result? Slowed production that might not meet standards.

Making unnecessary mistakes

If your boss’s annoying traits affect you, you might not be able to focus and put your full effort and attention into your daily tasks. It’s a no-win situation if an employee is too preoccupied with a boss’s negative behavior, and makes mistakes in the process.

Gossip among coworkers

When a boss repeatedly displays poor behavior, coworkers often gossip about their boss’s annoying traits. This can create an environment that builds resentment towards the boss, and even result in a worse situation if the boss is made aware of the gossip.

Taking more sick days

Who can blame an employee for repeatedly calling in sick to avoid dealing with an annoying boss? Facing each morning with a feeling of dread and electing to stay home instead might be a coping mechanism that works a few times, but in the long run, it doesn’t solve the problem.

Things you can do to lessen or stop annoying boss behavior

Our first piece of advice is that regardless of what annoying behavior your boss exhibits, remain respectful and professional. Instead of exacerbating the situation, think about your current position at the company and how much you truly value it, and consider these options:

Talk to the boss

Set up a meeting with your boss to discuss the issue professionally, one-on-one. Don’t call out your boss or have a discussion about your feelings in a group setting, as this might be interpreted as riling up the team to side with you. Jot down a few notes before you meet so you steer the conversation and include specific examples. Sometimes a polite but firm conversation can bring positive results.

Ignore the behavior as best as you can

For example, if your boss is guilty of an annoying trait like perfectionism, do your best within reason to clean up any mistakes. Should the boss point out a minuscule error that you made, simply say, “Thank you for the correction.” If you can find reasons why you find work fulfilling and focus on those, you may find that your boss’s behavior has less impact on your overall happiness and success.

Seek advice from a mentor

It’s never a bad idea to seek out an industry mentor or contact to discuss your difficulties. Mentors can offer perspective and objective advice, and in some cases, they may come up with solutions you wouldn’t have thought of.

Discuss your issues with HR

If you love the company you work for but your boss is stressing you out and your interactions with them aren’t helping, consider a meeting with your human resources representative. They may be able to suggest other courses of action to help, such as transfering to a similar role in another department where you can report to a different boss and continue your career.

Leave the company

If the options above do not work for you, then perhaps it’s time to begin a new job search. Don’t just quit without accepting your next job offer first. Update your resume and then write a strong cover letter. The ResumeHelp Resume Builder and Cover Letter Builder tools can help you create your application documents in minutes!