As a human being, you are bound to have preferences, and it is okay. However, when this natural trait gets into the workplace, it becomes a real problem. It is especially the case when the employer propagates favoritism in the workplace, and you are the one bearing the brunt of it all. In such a scenario, you will discover that you are left out of secret company meetings, discussions, and so forth.
But even with that said, favoritism can be so subtle that it becomes hard to notice. For this reason, it is essential to understand the concept a bit more to be in a position to spot such instances fast. So, what is favoritism? It is whereby an employer offers more opportunities and benefits to a particular workmate due to other reasons rather than capability and merit. Nepotism – family favoritism in the workplace – is an excellent example of partiality in employment.
What Are the Signs of Favoritism at Work?
What are some of the pieces of evidence of favoritism at work? Take a look:
- Your employer is always having lunch or spending time with one worker outside of work hours.
- A colleague is ever getting all opportunities, for example, going to conferences with the employer, training, etc.
- The employer continually accepts and excuses unprofessional acts from a specific workmate.
- The employer always listens to and implements recommendations from one employee.
What to Do When Your Boss Shows Favoritism?
If you work under an employer that lacks the professionalism to put their preferences aside, below are seven tips to help you navigate such a work environment:
Open Up Regarding What You Want
Sometimes you cannot do anything about the situation. Your boss might be drawn to a particular employee, and there is nothing you can do about it. What is within your capability, however, is to open up about what you want. For example, if you want to be given a specific assignment and you are confident you can deliver, you can go ahead and ask for the same. Your employer might just skip their favorite and assign the project to you.
Remember, your career goals should be what drive you. So, if you feel like workplace favoritism is getting in your way, you should always speak up your mind to ensure that even though your boss plays favorites, your career progresses regardless. If you want to open up regarding your remuneration, here are some tips on how to get a raise.
Ignore and Act Normal
Another way to beat boss favoritism is to act as if you are not noticing. This way, you will avoid reacting, often in a negative way, putting yourself at your employer’s wrong side. Note, assumptions do not always hold water.
So, just because someone is your manager’s favorite, it does not mean you are their most disliked. As such, it does not make sense to make yourself the most disliked employee by reacting negatively whenever your boss shows favoritism.
Keep Up the Good Work
You cannot control employee favoritism as much as you would love to, and dwelling on the matter will only drain your energy. So, you should put your mind and effort into bettering yourself. With time, your colleagues and even your employer will take note of your hard work, leading to pleasant rewards.
If it does not bother you, you can find out what has made a specific employee your boss’s favorite. Then, you can do the same or even better, and you too could become the manager’s favorite.
Advocate for Yourself
If you have done well at work and achieved significant successes, it is okay to put the same out there. This way, you can make people at work, your boss included, notice your contributions to the company. In turn, this can earn you the recognition you seek and a place among the most valuable employees.
When your boss plays favorites at work, some of the other things you can do to promote yourself include pushing your reputation beyond your department to others in the organization, getting involved in major projects, asking another senior executive to mentor you, suggesting new solutions, and so forth.
Avoid Getting Emotional
When emotions get the better of us, we are bound to act irrationally. In this context, emotions can make you lose sight of your career objectives, thus, derailing the quality of your work. To counter such an end, you should switch off your emotional radar. By doing this, you will see things more clearly and focus on delivering the best of your mandate at work. In the end, you might just become your manager’s favorite too. After all, who said that they could not be two or more favorites?
Be the “Grown Up”
Saying bad things about your employer and their favorite employee will not help in any way. Instead, it will only make things worse for you. For instance, if you are always going about your duties with anger and pain, there are chances that this will reach your employer.
In turn, they might respond with a solution that makes your situation even more pathetic. To stay safe and without issues, it is best always to consider the high road. Do not engage in any form of back-and-forth with your employer. If tensions are high, consider initiating the cool-down.
Know the Right Time to Walk
If even after countless reminders and successes at work, your employer still dismisses you, it is time you think about moving forward. No one wants to stay in an uncomfortable work environment, dotted by special treatment at work and lack of reward or recognition. Take the first step by learning how to create an excellent CV. Then, you can apply for a job in another company and wait to see how everything goes.
In the meantime, take time to learn why your employing company is not everything, and thus, it should not hurt you.
To conclude, while it is quite unprofessional, there will always be cases of managers treating employees differently. So, it is best to accept this fact and consider the above solutions. Remember, the trick is to remove any emotions from the matter as it will help you maintain a clear vision.
