# Workplace favoritism



## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Been reading this:

Favoritism & Nepotism. Unfair Treatment at Work



> Foster professionalism. At its very core, favoritism is unprofessional behavior. A first step to avoiding it is to foster and promote professionalism in your organization. They say the best offense is a good defense. Defend your company from potential favoritism by creating a professional environment that actively discourages any kind of unfair treatment.
> 
> Offer training. Educating and informing managers and employees alike is another way to help avoid favoritism in your workplace. Offer a training session on what favoritism is, why it’s detrimental, and what employees should do if they spot it in the office. If your employees are clear on what to look for, they’ll be more likely to report it if they see it.
> 
> ...


What do you think?


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## _anonymous_ (Apr 18, 2016)

Favoritism is often perceived from the "bottom up" in hierarchical organizations. Many employees would fear retaliation if they reported their line manager of playing favorites. From this standpoint, training and other facilities to counteract favoritism would be ineffective, without the right policy changes to achieve communication. Policies for open communication are key.

I'm skeptical that there's a solution for the problem. Human beings naturally form preferences for many things, people being one of them.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

That's what I'm afraid of, that it's more complicated a problem that I can handle, and that my company is getting too large for me to effectively manage. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I could chew but I felt I had no choice, as I'm not a sole trader. I've promoted internally as much as I can, but gaps remained that could only be filled externally - not always because of qualifications or experience, but because of interest. I'm terminating a senior staff member, with mixed opinions from both senior and 'junior' staff that have been with me for years.

I've maintained an open door policy but it seems I remain out of reach for most, and I too have been accused of favoritism. I can't handle three venues at once and I can't delegate. Perhaps the work culture I have created was great in the short run for team morale and effectiveness but in the long run as the company grows larger the very culture is undermining the core principles and foundations I have built the company on.

I'm considering selling, but not for the money, because I don't feel I can handle this. I need help.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

RandomDude said:


> That's what I'm afraid of, that it's more complicated a problem that I can handle, and that my company is getting too large for me to effectively manage. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I could chew but I felt I had no choice, as I'm not a sole trader. I've promoted internally as much as I can, but gaps remained that could only be filled externally - not always because of qualifications or experience, but because of interest. I'm terminating a senior staff member, with mixed opinions from both senior and 'junior' staff that have been with me for years.
> 
> I've maintained an open door policy but it seems I remain out of reach for most, and I too have been accused of favoritism. I can't handle three venues at once and I can't delegate. Perhaps the work culture I have created was great in the short run for team morale and effectiveness but in the long run as the company grows larger the very culture is undermining the core principles and foundations I have built the company on.
> 
> I'm considering selling, but not for the money, because I don't feel I can handle this. I need help.


RD, do you have an HR office, or do you handle all the HR yourself? I'm assuming that you handle most of it yourself.

If you don't have an HR office, you might want to consider hiring an HR manager, and perhaps an HR admin support person, who can help you handle this stuff. You can train this person on your core principles and foundations that you have established, and let them handle that aspect to take things off your plate.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Everything is changing so much, I still remember when it was like five of us. I think I'm happier with that size, and I've been managing it as if it's still my baby but since expansion it's become a completely different world now, and in the end it was never my baby, as I'm not sole trader. Think if I still want fingers in this pie I guess you're right, I'll need to rebuild the organisational structure, get HR not just an accountant for payrolls.

Or I can sell and start anew, I'm so sick of this industry.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

If you hire an HR pro, they can also help you with new initiative in regards to employee review/feedback, performance incentives, and professional development. They could help bring outside perspective and help you improve organizational structure and employee satisfaction. And they work for YOU, not the other way around. They will also stay up-to-date on labor laws, fair practices, etc, to help protect your best interests.

You hire the right HR and the right management, and they will allow you to take a step back and focus on your studies. You could keep the company, and potentially continue to grow while you pursue your other goals. The fact is that as an organization grows larger, the owner needs to take more of a hands-off approach, and hire management who get on board with his vision and run the company the way he wants.


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## MarriedDude (Jun 21, 2014)

RandomDude said:


> That's what I'm afraid of, that it's more complicated a problem that I can handle, and that my company is getting too large for me to effectively manage. Perhaps I've bitten off more than I could chew but I felt I had no choice, as I'm not a sole trader. I've promoted internally as much as I can, but gaps remained that could only be filled externally - not always because of qualifications or experience, but because of interest. I'm terminating a senior staff member, with mixed opinions from both senior and 'junior' staff that have been with me for years.
> 
> I've maintained an open door policy but it seems I remain out of reach for most, and I too have been accused of favoritism. I can't handle three venues at once and I can't delegate. Perhaps the work culture I have created was great in the short run for team morale and effectiveness but in the long run as the company grows larger the very culture is undermining the core principles and foundations I have built the company on.
> 
> I'm considering selling, but not for the money, because I don't feel I can handle this. I need help.


I took over a family business that is older than I am. AT it's highest it had several hundred people....TOO BIG is very real. I have pared it way way down....I dislike not having people that I actually know...but it is the nature of the beast. I hired a full time HR person...she has made a huge difference...but smaller is easier...and WAY more fun. 

If it's not fun....whats the damn point?


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

HR it is then, guess theres no way around it


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## Thor (Oct 31, 2011)

Dude, I work for one of the great companies in my industry. It started a long time ago with a couple of guys who just needed to get from A to B regularly, so they bought an airplane. When I started working here nearly 20 yrs ago it was a family business. Big, but still a family business. The folks senior to me were friends with the CEO, who was the son of one of the founders. They'd go on motorcycle trips together. Their kids were best buddies. 

I can remember a number of seniority or procedural violations due to those friendships. Special favors, etc.

The list of businesses which interacted with my employer coincidentally included mostly businesses owned by related family members from early employees.

Now we are a seriously large corporation, with all the bureaucracy and impersonal rules that go with it. Is it better? Maybe by some measures. But the stories of how this company got off the ground are interesting. The present-day culture would not have worked to get through those really tough early days. Like the first half dozen pilots using their own personal credit card to buy fuel during a cash flow crunch. Conversely, some of the stuff that went on back then would be hazardous to survival of a large corporation.

I think what you are experiencing may well be part of the natural cycle of a business as it grows.

Also, I personally don't see a problem with favoritism if it is based in some logic. Loyalty, competence, hard work. Those are important factors. A deeply trusted person is the logical one to promote. Perhaps friendships are blind to faults, too. Regardless, business depends on personal relationships. Unless your employees can be measured solely on cold numbers (e.g. widgets built per hour), subjective factors are valid when determining who to promote or fire.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

How does one make such a transition smoothly? Starting to think I'll need not just HR but CM as well, but change managers are even more expensive and I'm unsure if they can overcome my team's resistance.

How did your company do it?


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## Thor (Oct 31, 2011)

We just did it organically. Idk that there was any particular plan to change the structure. Management has always had a very strong, clear vision of where they want to take the company in terms of growth. One thing I have noticed is that upper management is more distant from the front line troops now. They used to make many visits to all the locations, with plenty of free lunches to sit and talk with the top brass. Now we pretty much never see the top brass. The number of layers of management has increased a bit, but the real growth in management has been sideways, with many new departments and many new Director level positions.


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## Haiku (Apr 9, 2014)

RD - this topic is out of my league but there are companies who offer HR service products. 

I don't want to hijack your thread but you're having some type of perceived favoritism issue within the organization? That doesn't seem like something to drive you to this decision. Is there more going on that has you concerned?


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

There has been alot of resistance to change, and even expansion, I have my suspicions if that is contributing to all the rampant politics now, hence considering not just HR but CM as well. But anyway, the fires have been put out thus far, I'll get HR not CM for now and continue to monitor the situation.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

You will always have favoritism. Half the interns at work are family and the other half are URM's (underrepresented minorities - including women). 

Next year I'm seriously contemplating bringing my younger girl as an intern. My new boss has dumped a new research project in the lab that requires some serious neuroscience based work... And our HR / College Relations people can't even spell neuroscience. Will it raise some eyebrows? I'm sure it will.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

RD, if your employees can see how these changes will benefit them and how the change will be positive, they may be more receptive to it.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Yeah well, think that's one aspect I don't think I can handle by myself, as I agree with them too, but I don't really have a choice in the matter as I didn't build this business with just my own money. Maybe HR can deal with that for me.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

RandomDude said:


> Yeah well, think that's one aspect I don't think I can handle by myself, as I agree with them too, but I don't really have a choice in the matter as I didn't build this business with just my own money. Maybe HR can deal with that for me.


???

I don't understand what you're getting at here. There are other owners? Or it's more of a co-op?


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

I am not sole shareholder, the business was built through securing investors, investors who demand their ROI. And even though I can keep their fingers from baking the pie they still have their fingers in it, and wanted the pie to expand, which it did, at the cost of what we consider "the good o' days" when we were a small to medium-sized business. This is why I was extremely stressed a while back but ultimately gave in to their demands for growth and higher ROI.


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

So you would have to get their OK to bring in an HR person? Or they're not ok taking a more hands-off approach?

Maybe you need to get all the shareholders together and discuss how the structure of the business needs to change to accommodate continued expansion. Lay out the pros and cons of a new structure and highlight the benefits and why it's necessary. Present the problem, and then present the solution.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

No, I don't need their OK as long as I keep the barrels rolling in dough. My shareholders demand growth for their ROI, hence the changes in the workplace, which contributes to the problems I seem to face today with the teams. I'm just uncertain whether HR can settle this, or if it's just going to be another example of how the "sky is falling".


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## FeministInPink (Sep 13, 2012)

Well, ok, give some specific examples of the problems that you're facing. I might be able to offer some insight regarding what HR can do to help.

You can PM me if you don't want to put stuff on the forums. I just want to help a friend


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Many old-timers for example, are very resistant to the changes to the workplace environment and expansion, they'd rather we maintain the flat management structure that we had however as I am forced to delegate it's becoming more hierarchical. I suspect this is contributing to friction with new management. So even though the recent manager I terminated was definitely useless, I suspect they are also playing politics. The other venues I've built are fine, it's my main venue where my old-timers reside and new management is finding it difficult to earn their respect.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

If the new managers are green, yes. My new manager is 6 years younger and "only" an MSEE  but he's very cool, very knowledgeable, and very gen x friendly which my lab team appreciates.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

Last manager had almost 10 yrs experience :/ Maybe that was in itself a red flag that I didn't pick up. Regardless I'm pulled back to operations management - again, yet I'm leaving for holidays by the end of this week I just hope it doesn't all explode while I'm gone.


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## john117 (May 20, 2013)

Our organization is highly technical and we have several distinct levels of management - team leaders like me or group managers - both report to chief engineer for this or that product or area. To make it chief engineer you really need to be technical. Group manager more like half and half technical and people manager. Chief engineers report to the VP of engineering and so on.


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## RandomDude (Dec 18, 2010)

So complex... think that's what they are afraid of, the whole bureaucracy, yet there's no choice. I can't be superman, the business can't hold together if I can't delegate. Still I don't think we need it that complex, just department head -> coordinator -> supervisor -> staff at most


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## Haiku (Apr 9, 2014)

But since leadership makes task/project assignments that are perceived to show favoritism by employees, then how is HR the solution? Isn't this a management cultural or management image problem? 

As I said this is over my head plus I don't have the full picture.


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