You’ve just brought on what seemed like a dream hire. He’s smart, confident, and charming. He gave all the answers you were looking for in his interview. You felt certain he’d be a strong addition to the team.
But once he settles in, that charisma starts to crack. His confidence morphs into arrogance. His charm only surfaces when it serves him. Otherwise, it’s replaced by cold indifference. Soon, you notice the red flags: belittling, gaslighting, subtly manipulating coworkers.
It’s time to face it: you hired a narcissist.
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The effects can be emotionally and even financially devastating for your workplace. Here, you’ll uncover the patterns of behavior from a narcissistic employee. More importantly, you’ll learn how to strategically respond and regain control. By learning negotiation skills and other methods for dealing with narcissists, you can protect the culture you’ve built and keep the power where it belongs.
What Narcissistic Behavior Looks Like at Work
First, release any embarrassment about hiring a narcissist. They often present as the perfect candidate: polished, confident, and persuasive. But that charm and confidence that made them so appealing is only a mask, hiding far more sinister traits beneath.
As time goes on, the cracks begin to show. Your narcissistic employee will operate with entitlement, convinced they deserve every promotion and every special project. They demand constant praise, whether or not it’s earned. And when they fall short, accountability never sticks. The blame is always on someone else.
Day-to-day interactions become increasingly difficult, especially for peers or subordinates. Soon, complaints surface about the narcissist’s gaslighting and subtle sabotaging. Any remaining charm appears only when it serves their agenda.
Red Flags You Shouldn’t Ignore
As the narcissist grows more secure in their role of professional domination, the fractures in your team’s camaraderie become clearer. The narcissist will form alliances with those in power or anyone who can advance their agenda. They’ll shower these people with exaggerated charm and attention.
But those they see as inferior or a threat will be quietly undermined. Resentment spreads, morale drops, and the healthy culture you worked to create begins to unravel piece by piece. You’ll see resentment and hurt throughout your team. Essentially, any strides you had made in creating a healthy work environment will start to fall apart.
And it doesn’t stop there. The narcissist will soak up praise like a sponge, but try to give them any constructive feedback, and you’ll get nothing but deflection and excuses. They’ll play the victim, or worse, launch counterattacks against you and anyone else who dared to challenge them.
The Organizational Impact of a Narcissistic Employee
It’s easy to see how the narcissist’s behavior infects your entire organization. Morale drops across the board, especially among those who were once favored but eventually fell out of their good graces. Even strong workplace friendships begin to fracture.
Your top performers become prime targets of the narcissist’s hostility. They’ll experience passive-aggressiveness, sabotage, gaslighting, and icy dismissiveness—all because their excellence threatens the narcissist’s ego. Eventually, they might transfer teams or quit altogether, leaving the rest of your team overburdened.
And the ripple effect can spread even further. The narcissist’s recklessness risks dragging the whole company into conflict. They’re likely to misrepresent themselves or the brand in client-facing roles. And when they fail to deliver or even spark a toxic altercation with clients, the damage lands on your entire company.
How to Manage a Narcissistic Employee Without Losing Control
Realizing how much damage a narcissist can cause might feel overwhelming. You’re probably wondering how on earth you can get out of this situation.
If this is the case, take a deep breath: you’ve got options.
The first rule is this: emotional engagement with a narcissist always backfires. The moment you let your emotions in, you hand them control. That’s when the power struggle begins, and you risk becoming their next target.
Instead, stay completely neutral, unflinching, and direct. Keep every interaction strictly professional and anchored in performance metrics. Include their ability to collaborate as part of those evaluations.
Next, set clear and measurable expectations. Take this seriously: narcissists will find any loophole to deflect blame to someone else. Document every conversation, save emails, and keep a close eye on their performance. Paper trails will become your shield.
You can also use consequence-based communication. Outline specific repercussions for boundary violations or harmful behavior, then follow through without exception. This builds a protective fence around their chaos and prevents them from creating a reign of terror.
Finally, strongly consider employing a negotiation coach for your whole team. A skilled coach can train everyone to spot manipulation and set firm boundaries. They’ll help preserve a healthy work environment and ensure that one toxic employee doesn’t derail morale and destroy your positive team culture.
Knowing When It’s Time to Let Go
Of course, sometimes even the strongest strategies won’t neutralize the most manipulative narcissists. If you’ve done everything you can to protect your team and their trust, but the situation is still toxic, it’s time to let the employee go.
When you do, handle the termination with complete neutrality and airtight documentation. This is your best protection against the narcissist’s retaliation attempts.
If the narcissist comes after you, your employees, or your company, consult a lawyer that deals with narcissists. While any legal team can offer protection, only those who understand narcissistic tactics will anticipate their manipulative playbook and stay one step ahead.
Don’t Let the Narcissist Take Control
Hiring a narcissist can feel like letting a fox into the henhouse. But remember this: knowledge is power. Once you understand their behavior patterns, you take away their biggest weapons.
By staying neutral, documenting everything, and using consequence-based communication, you create leverage. You build fences around their chaos and protect the culture you’ve worked so hard to create. And if termination becomes the only option, you’ll already have the strategies and records in place to safeguard your team and the company.
The truth is, narcissists don’t change. Instead of feeling trapped, see this as an opportunity not only to protect your workplace, but to sharpen your own negotiation skills. Because the stronger you get at managing narcissists, the less control they’ll have over you and your team.
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Infographic
Hiring a narcissist can subtly undermine your workplace culture, lowering morale, eroding trust, and hindering productivity. This infographic reveals six behaviors to anticipate from a narcissistic employee.
