Despite the fact that the majority of managers believes favoritism hurts business, most said it still takes place at their own companies.
A significant 83% of execs said favoritism in the workplace leads to poor work decisions, according to a Georgetown University McDonough School of Business study of 300 top execs executives. However, the study also found that:
- 92% of execs have witnessed favoritism in employee promotions
- 84% have seen it at their own company, and
- Nearly a quarter (23%) admitted they have practiced favoritism.
It’s human nature to like certain employees more than others, but it can really hurt your credibility if it’s obvious you’re giving your favorites better work assignments, more opportunities, etc. One way to make sure you’re not favoring certain people: Rank the employees who you like best as people, then, rank those employees strictly on their performance.
Comparing the two lists should help you ensure your evaluations and reviews aren’t biased.
Readers, do favoritism take place at your company? Share your experiences in the Comments section.