If you feel like some of your colleagues are getting special treatment, you’re not alone.
According to a recent survey of 1,000 American workers conducted by Resume Now, 70% say they’ve seen leaders play favorites, while 43% say they’ve witnessed favoritism factor into promotions, raises, or recognition.
Nearly a quarter also believe leadership is protecting a “toxic top performer” at the expense of others.
While the Resume Now data suggests a significant proportion of workers are regularly confronting issues of favoritism, Justin Hale questions whether it’s reality or just their perception.
“I don’t think [workplace favoritism] is that high,” says Justin Hale, author and course designer at Crucial Learning. “I’ve worked with thousands of people, and it absolutely happens sometimes, but I don’t think it happens as often as people say.”
Hale suggests it’s easier to cry foul than to look internally, leading many to see favoritism where it doesn’t exist.
“Sometimes you aren’t the right fit, but most of us want to find some reasoning or justification outside of ‘I just didn’t do my best’ or ‘I wasn’t qualified’ or ‘I wasn’t the best choice,’” he says. “We want to blame someone else; we want to point the finger elsewhere.”