A recent study shows 47% of American employees think their supervisor plays favorites.
The numbers paint an even clearer picture. About 56% of managers already know who they want to promote before reviews start, and their preferred candidate lands the position 96% of the time.
Workplace favoritism creates serious problems. Staff members who see bias feel worthless and lose motivation. This leads to job dissatisfaction and less involvement at work. The company's productivity suffers as employee turnover rates climb, and the workplace culture takes a major hit.
These problems are systemic - 75% of professionals have seen favoritism firsthand, while 83% say it stops the best candidates from getting roles. Research backs this up, showing favoritism acts as a real workplace stressor that damages an employee's view of their organization.
Managers hold both the power and duty to tackle workplace favoritism before it breeds resentment and unhealthy competition. This piece will explore practical ways to handle favoritism in the workplace. We'll cover everything from spotting early warning signs to building fair systems that keep bias away.
Image Source: Levine & Blit, PLLC
Identifying favoritism quickly is a vital step to address workplace bias. Research from Central Michigan University shows that favoritism tends to demonstrate specific patterns that hurt workplace fairness. Quick recognition of these signs helps managers tackle favoritism before it damages team unity.
Unbalanced workloads stand out as clear signs of workplace favoritism. This happens when select employees get either easier assignments or better projects while others get stuck with heavier work. Research shows that managers unknowingly give too much work to high performers instead of sharing tasks fairly among team members.
This imbalance creates serious problems. Uneven workload distribution guides teams toward:
Then, favoritism in task distribution creates a cycle where high performers burn out while favored employees stay unchallenged. This ended up reducing the team's overall performance.
There's another reason to watch out - the way recognition and feedback flow through the team. Managers spend extra time in casual chats with certain employees, sharing jokes or personal conversations. On top of that, they might focus more on work discussions with these same preferred individuals.
This favoritism shows up in public recognition too. Workplace analysis reveals that uneven praise does more than annoy people—it hits employee morale directly. Managers who praise average work from favorites but ignore quality work from others send a clear message: relationships matter more than results.
Harvard Business Review findings show that managers might unknowingly pile tasks on productive team members while giving too much praise to less productive favorites. This creates confusion where good work brings more work, but average performance sometimes gets more recognition.
The most harmful effect on workplace culture comes from exclusive social groups. These show up in several ways:
A striking 96% of people surveyed say they've faced workplace bullying through exclusion. This behavior costs U.S. companies about $13 billion each year in lost productivity and higher turnover.
Social exclusion starts subtly—people get left out of office talks or eat alone while others participate in group discussions. Small incidents add up to create a pattern that seriously affects psychological safety.
Work cliques hurt morale especially when they form between managers and certain employees. People outside these groups start believing only those in the inner circle get positive feedback, recognition, or promotions. This belief reduces engagement and productivity as employees feel social connections matter more than work quality.
Dealing with workplace exclusion is tough because it usually involves many small incidents over time. Social media makes things worse, with 11% of employees saying colleagues have posted embarrassing photos of them online.
Image Source: AIHR
Managers must understand why favoritism happens in the workplace to develop effective solutions. Most cases of favoritism don't come from bad intentions. Natural human tendencies, missing systems, and organizational factors create this problem. Managers can tackle the real problem instead of just dealing with symptoms by identifying these root causes.
Our brains take shortcuts to process information, which leads to unconscious biases that shape workplace decisions. These biases aren't good or bad by nature, but they can create unfair and irrational decisions that lead to systemic discrimination when nobody checks them.
Affinity bias stands out as one of the biggest reasons behind workplace favoritism. This bias makes us favor people who remind us of ourselves. Managers who think they're fair still gravitate toward employees who share their backgrounds, interests, or ways of communicating.
Research shows this pattern clearly:
The "halo effect" makes this problem worse. Positive impressions of certain employees create mental blocks that stop managers from seeing these employees' mistakes or weak points. The brain filters information to match those original positive impressions.
Favoritism continues because managers don't see their biased behaviors. Yes, it is true that most cases of favoritism happen without intent but come from hidden patterns. This unconscious nature makes favoritism hard to fix.
Missing accountability systems let favoritism grow unchecked. Studies show only 25% of companies assess equity metrics during manager reviews. Without tracking promotion patterns, reward distribution, or training access, biased decisions go unnoticed.
Employees stay quiet about favoritism they see. About 75% don't speak up because they fear backlash or being called "difficult". This silence lets favoritism become normal, even among good managers who might change if they knew how their actions affect others.
Office politics creates perfect conditions for favoritism. Research associates higher levels of workplace favoritism with increased organizational politics. Supervisors might use favoritism to control employees and gain power in politically-charged workplaces.
Role ambiguity gives supervisors more chances to show preferential treatment. When job responsibilities, expectations, and goals aren't clear, managers can easily assign good tasks to their favorites.
Managers in high-pressure industries like tech, finance, or healthcare rely on "trusted" people to get quick results. This practice creates an inner circle that gets more opportunities, leaving out equally capable team members.
Different cultures see favoritism differently. Many Western cultures frown upon favoritism, but other societies see close connections and special treatment as normal parts of business relationships. One culture's favoritism might be another's relationship-building, which creates challenges in global organizations.
Managers can create targeted strategies that fix the real causes of favoritism once they understand why it happens, instead of just treating the symptoms.
Image Source: Yours App
You need to act quickly after spotting favoritism in your workplace as a manager. It takes courage, consistency, and smart planning to deal with workplace bias. The numbers tell an interesting story - 75% of executives have seen favoritism, but only 25% see it in their own behavior. This gap shows why we must step in right away.
Look at yourself before pointing fingers at others. Your self-awareness will help create lasting changes in how you manage people. Take an honest look at your work patterns. Do you give everyone equal chances? Are you spending too much time with certain team members?
Your team should know why you make decisions about promotions and raises. This clarity naturally reduces any thoughts about favoritism. Keeping your door open lets team members talk about their concerns with you directly. This stops any bad feelings from growing.
Keep track of how you hand out tasks. This simple habit helps you spot any unplanned bias in project assignments and makes you more accountable. You can also try role-playing - put yourself in each employee's shoes to see how your management style feels to them.
Hard numbers instead of gut feelings cut down favoritism. You should build systems that track employee performance objectively. Here's how:
We used data analytics to watch key performance indicators objectively. This method removes bias by basing decisions on real numbers rather than personal views.
Sometimes deep-rooted favoritism needs outside help to fix. Neutral parties bring fresh eyes to tough situations, especially when trust has taken a hit due to perceived bias.
These experts create safe spaces for honest talks. They help everyone share their concerns while finding solutions together. Their skills in mediation ensure fairness by following set rules and keeping things confidential.
Bringing in outside mediators shows you care about being fair and accountable. This step helps rebuild trust and reduces tension in your team. While asking for help might feel uncomfortable at first, the benefits to team unity usually make it worthwhile.
Image Source: The Diversity Movement
A level playing field remains the best way to curb favoritism at work. You need to spot and fix biased patterns first. The next step builds systems that stop favoritism from coming back.
Regular recognition practices help fight workplace favoritism. Studies show just one in three workers strongly agree they got recognition last week. This matters because employees who don't feel recognized are twice as likely to leave within a year.
The best results come from:
Companies with solid recognition plans see 50% higher productivity and up to 20% better business results. A well-laid-out recognition system shows what the company values, not who's closest to management.
Clear communication stops people from seeing favoritism where none exists. More than 80% of workers want to better understand how decisions happen. About 87% of job seekers look specifically for transparent workplaces.
Success criteria need clear communication throughout. Former GE CEO Jack Welch said it best: "Trust happens when leaders are transparent, candid and keep their word". Open information about decisions creates accountability everywhere and reduces fears of favoritism.
Different viewpoints naturally fight favoritism as more voices shape decisions. Teams with cultural awareness serve diverse customers better and solve problems more effectively.
Company-wide lunches, volunteer days, and cross-team activities help employees connect. Team agreements should define shared values and respectful interaction guidelines. The workplace should let team members challenge ideas without fear.
Multiple viewpoints lead to better conflict resolution. Teams that welcome everyone don't just avoid favoritism - they deliver much better results.
Image Source: AIHR
Organizations need workable solutions to deal with favoritism, especially since 96% of employees face workplace bullying through exclusion. A proper system to handle complaints as they come up is vital.
Your organization needs a clear grievance procedure that lets employees report favoritism without fear. A written policy should guide employees through the complaint process. The procedure must:
You should keep in touch with employees during the grievance process to show you take their concerns seriously. Mediation options can help resolve disputes in a friendlier way.
Leadership training is the foundation of eliminating workplace favoritism. Managers need detailed training that covers:
The training should help leaders become more self-aware. Research shows most cases of favoritism come from unconscious patterns. Regular sessions about diversity, inclusion, and employment law help remind everyone about fair treatment.
You need to keep checking to maintain fairness at work. Anonymous feedback systems help employees speak up safely. Each favoritism complaint deserves quick, objective investigation.
Take time to assess your workplace culture and policies. Ask for employee feedback, look for signs of favoritism, and update your practices as needed. Your workplace policies should grow and change to tackle new challenges that pop up.
Favoritism remains one of the biggest problems in workplaces today. It affects team dynamics, productivity, and ends up impacting the organization's success. This guide got into how favoritism shows through uneven workloads, selective recognition, and exclusive social circles. It also explored why it happens - from human tendencies we don't notice to deeper organizational issues.
Teams don't deal very well with workplace favoritism through passive acknowledgment alone. Managers should look inward and assess their own patterns first. They can then make use of information-driven systems that prevent bias. These efforts create environments where decisions become clear, recognition becomes standard, and everyone can participate in collaboration.
The trip toward workplace equity is challenging but brings most important rewards. Teams that work without favoritism stay more engaged, keep their people longer, and perform better. Companies also gain advantages as fair employers when competing for talent.
Note that removing favoritism doesn't mean treating everyone the same way. It means giving equal opportunities based on merit instead of personal connections. Without doubt, your efforts to create fair workplaces will build stronger teams and promote an environment where breakthroughs flourish.
The fight against workplace favoritism needs steadfast dedication rather than a one-time effort. Managers who make fairness their priority build stronger teams that can handle challenges and achieve success together. Your willingness to spot and fix favoritism today will shape your team's culture over the last several years.
Q1. How can I address favoritism as an employee?
If you suspect favoritism, start by documenting specific instances. Focus on improving your own performance and visibility within the organization. Consider having a private conversation with your manager about your career goals and desire for growth opportunities. If the issue persists, consult with HR or your manager's supervisor while maintaining a professional attitude throughout the process.
Q2. What are some effective strategies for managers to prevent favoritism?
Managers can prevent favoritism by implementing standardized recognition practices, promoting transparency in decision-making, and encouraging diverse team collaboration. Regularly assess task distribution patterns, use data-driven metrics for evaluations, and create opportunities for all team members to showcase their skills and contribute to important projects.
Q3. Is workplace favoritism illegal?
While favoritism is generally considered unethical, it is not inherently illegal. However, if favoritism is based on protected characteristics such as race, gender, or age, it could be considered discrimination and therefore illegal. Managers should be aware that even legal forms of favoritism can harm workplace morale and productivity.
Q4. How can organizations create a fair and inclusive work environment?
Organizations can foster fairness by standardizing recognition and reward systems, promoting transparency in decision-making processes, and encouraging diverse team collaboration. Implementing clear promotion policies, conducting regular performance evaluations based on established criteria, and surveying employees about workplace fairness can also contribute to a more inclusive environment.
Q5. What should I do if I'm the one receiving preferential treatment?
If you notice you're receiving preferential treatment, acknowledge the situation and express your discomfort to your manager. Be transparent with your colleagues and discourage any special treatment. Support a fair work environment by advocating for equal opportunities for all team members and participating in initiatives that promote inclusivity and collaboration across the organization.