If you’re trying to transition out of being hands-on in every place of your business, you’re not alone. So many capable women are building thriving businesses, but then feel their support systems and teams don’t necessarily expand alongside the company. I recently chatted with a client in exactly this position who felt confronted by an entitled, long-standing employee.

When an employee begins to believe they deserve privileged treatment, it can create a toxic environment and friction between that person and everyone around them. Employee entitlement is a real thing. Knowing your worth is one thing, but assuming you should have more on one side of the value exchange is another.

There are four entitlement factors to look for in your employees, one of the big ones being money. Entitled employees don’t necessarily factor in the impact on the business when they make their requests. Another one is business insights, or feeling like they should be consulted before business decisions are made.

Entitlement also comes up in the form of “hall passes.” This looks like someone not following a system or process quite as thoroughly as everyone else. But if you really want to foster a healthy working environment, the rules need to be upheld by all team members. The last and fourth factor is education: the person who feels they deserve to learn more on the dime of the company.

Communication is key in putting a stop to this behaviour in its tracks. Be transparent about your expenses and overhead. Address the entitlement instead of avoiding it or rewarding it. Providing clear job descriptions and annual reviews can help you avoid these issues before they start. Or, even better, avoid hiring entitled workers in the first place by asking the right questions.

Essential Interview Questions To Avoid Hiring Entitled Workers

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