Feeling Overlooked at Work? Let's Talk About Favoritism and Company Culture

Dear all,

Share your views on the above said issue. I would like to ask all of you, did you ever feel that the boss is being a little partial to some of your team members? Did you ever feel that what you should have gotten went to somebody else, even though your performance was at its optimum?

Do you feel the boss is showering unnecessary pressure on you, even though you may be working real hard? Do you think all this could be attributed to the company culture?

Waiting for your precious replies.

Regards,
Vishal

Yeah

1. How I felt deprived when I didn't get a promotion while my colleague (senior) got one!

2. How I felt deprived when I didn't get that special position in the Controlling office!

3. How I felt deprived when I didn't get the check signing authority while my level officers had in different branches!

Well but all this is of the past, I mean my feelings.... As I think of it more while studying in MBA, I came to realize that for every step the manager took was systematic and calculated.

1. Even if the companies are following performance for promotions, they will certainly give some weightage to the seniority also, and the sum of both surpassed mine. Could not understand then, but am clear now.

2. The controlling manager wanted someone who he could talk to when he was out of town. Who he could ring up at 10 pm at home and have information on small issues. Now who would get this position. Obviously the person, the controlling manager is more comfortable with. I was very annoyed at that time, but looking back, it seems all logical.

3. The company had a clear policy of the officers having 3 years in the company getting the check signing authority. Now I was just a direct new recruit. Clear explanation.

I agree that favoritism is there in the corporate world. People tend to back their kin, their friends, etc., and cover them up. But is it not our (India's) social structure. Everybody supports his kin/friend within a company/outside the company.

So the question here arises:

Can a person have some values while he is within the company premises?

and

Some other values when he is outside the company premises?

Favoritism exists everywhere, and it is unethical. Favoritism affects hardworking students right from their days in school. The defense forces have shades of favoritism, which can be dangerous for the security of the country. The corporate world also exhibits favoritism. However, I believe that it can be tackled. I believe in the power of communication, self-confidence, result-yielding work, and perception management as key factors to combat favoritism. The choice lies with the individual - to either get lost in the sea and drown or to fight the sharks and swim to shore. Every other successful person will say, "It's a dog-eat-dog world," while others say, "It's my world."

Dear Colleagues,

Favoritism has always been present within the human race; it just manifests itself in different forms.

For instance, employees can be favored simply because they comply with their line managers' wishes, regardless of whether the tasks are right or wrong, clean or dirty.

As a result, a level of preference is extended to these employees, often resulting in quicker approvals for official requests, and so on.

Similarly, some employees naturally excel in their roles, displaying wit and intelligence in handling corporate assignments. They consistently meet and even exceed set targets, making them stand out during evaluations, thus earning favoritism from their line managers and the management in general.

Closely associated with the internal "politics" of favoritism is the concept of "godfatherism," which may originate from within the organization or externally. Frequently, individuals secure job opportunities through influential connections in society, who then oversee and influence the trajectory of their careers, impacting their success in the corporate world.

Overall, there is little one can do to change such dynamics. However, as HR practitioners, our role is to strive for objectivity, provide appropriate recommendations when needed, and intervene in cases of conflicting perceptions or decisions made by line managers or the management.

As the popular saying goes, "no matter how you share a fried egg, some will always have the lion's share."

Thanks.