Last Updated on March 13, 2022 by Dave Schoenbeck
Many entrepreneurs fall into the trap of relying on a few key employees to tackle the most important tasks. While these employees might be competent and loyal, it’s a type of favoritism to give opportunities to the same few employees time and time again. Employee favoritism is a corrosive force that can damage your team and jeopardize your future. Here’s how to avoid employee favoritism.
Signs of Favoritism at Work
Favoritism at work changes the dynamic of a team. It causes tension between employees, lowers morale, and can even drive good employees to quit—not to mention putting you at risk for a discrimination lawsuit if things go south. Worst of all, it’s nearly impossible for a manager to regain the respect of their employees once it’s been lost due to employee favoritism.
The danger is that we might not even realize we’re showing favoritism until it’s too late. Here are a few examples of what favoritism at work might look like:
- Excessive praise
- Consistently assigning high-profile assignments
- Inclusion of certain employees in key meetings
- Overly friendly relationships
- Additional access to the boss
- Special accommodations
- Special perks
- Different scales of performance measurement
- Difference in compensation
While there are many reasons that these things might happen in the workplace, it’s important to monitor them to make sure you’re not playing favorites accidentally. If one employee is constantly receiving praise and handling new opportunities, other employees will correctly identify this as a type of favoritism.
Managing Favoritism in the Workplace
Even the best managers can occasionally slip into employee favoritism from time to time. The key is to develop an awareness system for managing favoritism at work that all of your employees are aware of.
First of all, be sure to create an open office culture that fosters communication. If you make sure every employee has equal access to your time and energy, you will reduce the perception of employee favoritism.
Spend time with each employee and learn about their personalities and professional goals, then assign them tasks that will help them succeed.
Be aware of any preferences or biases you might have that could be interpreted as employee favoritism. Make an effort to embrace employees who are different than you and avoid becoming too friendly with any single employee. As a manager, it’s crucial that you remain impartial and appear so to your team as a whole.
If an instance of potential favoritism is brought to your attention, communicate with your employees. Let them know your reasoning and, if it is a case of favoritism, take strong steps to combat it. Make sure your team knows that every employee is equally valued, and take the time to express your appreciation one on one.
It’s very likely that you will at one point exhibit behaviors that could be seen as favoritism. However, if you develop an open and honest culture where every employee feels equally valued, you can rest assured that they will work with you to move past it.
Avoiding employee favoritism at work is a key component of being a leader. If you’re worried about expressing an unconscious bias, I can help. Fill out my contact form to schedule a complimentary coaching call and let’s talk about the effects of favoritism in the workplace.
Coach Dave
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