Seeing the boss once again grant a favored employee early dismissal while others stay behind to work inevitably stirs resentment. Similarly, witnessing the boss and a colleague sharing heart-to-heart conversations by the water cooler can be deeply frustrating. You're not alone in noticing which colleagues are the boss's favorites. A U.S. consulting firm found that among employee-perceived managerial misconduct, favoritism ranks number one.
Among nearly 69,000 U.S. employees surveyed in the first half of this year, 10.2% reported noticing favoritism by their boss in the past 12 months. Nine percent observed inappropriate behavior, 7.6% witnessed harassment, followed by other types of misconduct.
Favoritism is a broad concept referring to behavior that fails to treat all employees equally, granting unfair advantages to certain individuals. Sometimes it's blatant—like when your boss assigns another plum assignment to a junior assistant who happens to be his college classmate. Other instances, however, are much harder to detect.Experts note that while illegal favoritism can be addressed through legal channels, legitimate instances may require alternative coping strategies.
Focus on Your Own Work
Some workplace experts advise against reacting with anger when witnessing others receiving preferential treatment. Instead, they suggest self-reflection. While jealousy or resentment may arise when others are favored, it's crucial to evaluate your own performance and how the company perceives you.It's wise to identify your weaknesses and work on improving them, so colleagues can offer more positive feedback on your work.
Employees should avoid "burying themselves" in work. The more details you share with your boss about your accomplishments, the less likely others are to claim your efforts as their own. When you bury yourself, you let others stand out. Human resources veterans also advise employees to document their performance.
Cultivating Relationships
Employees feeling overlooked can actively nurture their relationship with their boss.
A company CEO stated, "Those willing to stay late or work overtime... convey loyalty and reliability to their superiors that others lack. In 99% of cases, this stems from work performance." Some employees should seek advocates to communicate their achievements and value to the company."You can ask someone influential and respected within the company to share their perspective on your work. If someone genuinely appreciates your contributions, they won't refuse to discuss your achievements with your boss."
Favoritism from Bosses Isn't Always Biased
Sometimes information gaps lead employees to mistakenly believe their boss is biased. Without sufficient context, you can't fully understand how your boss treats others. We don't spend every waking moment in the same room with this person.
Experts note that not all preferential treatment is unfair. You may find colleagues earning less or more than you, but pay gaps can stem from legitimate, non-discriminatory factors. Sometimes, employees receive reasonable perks like flexible hours.
If a boss observes someone working exceptionally hard—say, taking on extra tasks on weekends—they often grant that person greater autonomy.