Workplace Nepotism Undermines Social Mobility

Nepotism
noun
the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs.

When reading the definition of "nepotism", I am reminded of Uncle Ben's iconic line in Spiderman (2002) "With great power comes great responsibility". Geeky pop-culture references aside, nepotism threatens the jobs of thousands in the city, as exclusive cultures lacking meritocracy create toxic workplaces that undermine hard work. In this blog, I want to share my thoughts on the below points: 

• What is nepotism;
• How does nepotism threaten business; and
• Countering nepotism with an inclusive "Speak Up" culture. 

What is nepotism?
Reading the above, it's clear that nepotism relates to an abuse of power. Just look at the synonyms in The Collins Dictionary: favouritism, unfairness, prejudice. For socially mobile individuals (who are likely to have few contacts in the business world) nepotism presents a legitimate concern. The "old boys' club" of nepotism creates exclusive networks that offer promotions based on existing privileges such as class, race, or gender. While nepotism is not illegal in many countries, discriminating against someone due to their race, age or gender can be. 

Aside from the obvious moral argument to combat nepotism, it can have seriously detrimental impacts on business performance. Nepotism fosters a less skilled workforce, as promotion no longer appreciates merit and output is resultingly reduced when staff find themselves in roles they are incapable of. 

How does nepotism threaten business?

While nepotism threatens business practices in hundreds of ways, I have laid out five key considerations:

1. Hiring someone who isn't the best candidate will reduce the overall performance and output of the company (a more qualified or experienced individual could likely complete tasks to a higher level and faster);
2. Promoting individuals in an opaque way (rather than using transparent performance indicators) can demotivate the workforce and create a culture of mistrust;
3. Providing special treatment to individuals can worsen the relationship between leaders and employees, building feelings of resentment;
4. Nepotism inhibits diversity (international clients and businesses thrive from diverse experiences, cultures and understanding brought by their workforce);
5. Workplace retention is likely to suffer if employees do not feel they are fairly rewarded for their hard work. Repetitively re-training a workforce is expensive and inefficient. 

Creating an inclusive "Speak Up" culture.
Countering exclusive nepotist cultures can only be achieved if leadership (and those in positions of power) seek to make a change. However, promoting an inclusive culture can be preached by all, so I have laid out my thoughts on creating a "Speak Up" culture below. 

Request Transparency in Promotions and Hiring
If you are passed up on a job, I encourage you to always seek feedback. When employers show the reasoning behind a promotion (be it qualifications, time sheets or sales metrics) this shared understanding can provide you with an area to improve, whilst also holding employers accountable. 

Seek Non-bias Training
Many employers provide subconscious bias training to interviewers. This helps recruiters become more aware of deep-routed misconceptions or judgments, that could otherwise project onto a candidate and unfairly disadvantage them. Encourage leaders to train staff with these systems, or even promote a CV blind interview policy (to prevent pre-conceptions of candidates). 

Challenge Visible Nepotism 
While nepotism often manifests in an opaque and veiled fashion, some forms of nepotism are more visible (see the BBC Article "Six Tales of Top-Level Workplace Nepotism"). If you believe a hiring decision was unjust, speak up against it. 

Thanks for reading.

Christian 
(SLAB)