Favoritism in the workplace can be a silent culture killer. In my experience as an executive leadership coach, I’ve seen how it erodes trust and lowers morale. A study by Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business found that 92% of senior business executives have seen favoritism at play in employee promotions, including at their own companies. Recognizing the signs of favoritism is the first step toward creating a fairer work environment. Here’s what to look for and how to address it.
Identify Unequal Opportunities for Advancement: Take note of promotion patterns. When merit doesn’t drive advancements, and only a select few ascend, favoritism is likely influencing decisions.
Spot Disproportionate Allocation of Challenging Work: Scrutinize how leaders distribute tasks. Favoritism often surfaces when certain employees regularly tackle more engaging or high-profile projects.
Recognize Selective Leniency in Performance: Keep an eye on accountability. A significant warning sign is when leadership overlooks the mistakes of a favored few, while others face strict scrutiny.
Address Inequitable Recognition and Rewards: Monitor the distribution of praise. Unequal acknowledgment and rewards, not reflective of actual performance, often point to favoritism.
Check Exclusive Access to Information or Training: Ensure inclusivity in opportunities. Favoritism may be at play if only select individuals receive insider information or development chances.
Observe Consistent Approval of Requests: Look for approval patterns. Preferential treatment becomes apparent when leaders consistently grant requests to certain employees over others.
Examine One-on-One Time with Leadership: Evaluate leadership interactions. Excessive private time with leaders can indicate favoritism.
Listen to Which Employees Are Heard: Pay attention to whose input gets acknowledged. Consistently ignoring contributions from certain team members is a telltale sign of favoritism.
Assess Social Exclusivity: Observe team dynamics. Regular inclusion of particular employees in social events, to the exclusion of others, can also be a form of favoritism.
Evaluate Discrepancies in Flexibility: Ensure fair application of flexibility. When leniency in schedules or deadlines benefits only a few, it often signals favoritism.
Favoritism at work undermines the principles
of fairness and equity.
Identifying these signs is crucial to foster a workplace where opportunities and recognition are based on merit.
Lead From Within: Combat favoritism by advocating for transparency and fairness—it’s the hallmark of strong leadership.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
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- How to Succeed as A New Leader
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- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.