How to Recognize Employee Favoritism
In the workplace, stellar performers always capture the eyes of management. This usually sets the stage for the optics of favoritism by other employees. However, it is important to recognize the difference between employee favoritism and developing leaders within the workplace. Managers and supervisors should take advantage of a workforce program that helps define these differences.
Checklist to Avoid Employee Favoritism
In many workplaces, it may be a knee jerk reaction to rely on the same employees who know their jobs and perform them with outstanding results. The downside to this is that other employees view this as favoritism and for managers; these other employees are not given equal opportunities to increase their job knowledge and performance. In jobs where safety is a major issue, this can be a company liability. There are several things to avoid employee favoritism. These include:- Shared employee duties
- Equal opportunities for promotions and raises
- Fairly distributed employee benefits
- Avoiding potential for nepotism
- Providing company policies on sexual harassment and gender bias
- Avoiding cronyism and patronage among supervisors and managers toward employees
When employers favor a certain gender for promotions, avoid hiring older workers or those with disabilities, they inject favoritism into the workplace. Click To Tweet
When employers favor a certain gender for promotions, avoid hiring older workers or those with disabilities, they inject favoritism into the workplace. It's important for all employers to regularly review their practices regarding hiring, promotion, wage increases, benefits and overall distribution of job duties to employees. Human Resources Development (HRD) Helps Reduce Employee Favoritism In many companies, Human Resources Development professionals are trained to provide and maintain policies in businesses that help recognize employee favoritism. For example, by documenting employee performance and providing formal employee performance appraisals on a regular basis, employees are held to equal work standards. This is especially important in jobs that require optimal safety knowledge and performance from employees. The end result is reduction in the potential for employee favoritism.Recognizing Bias in the Workplace
Bias can occur on an employer-to-employee or an employee-to- employee basis. It is the responsibility of employers to recognize bias before it reduces employee morale and, by association, employee productivity. Employers should be on the alert for signs of bias such as stereotyping, destructive criticism and personality differences based on race, creed, age, gender or disability.Training and Employee Development
Employers can also avoid employee favoritism problems in the workplace by providing workforce safety training through a comprehensive workforce safety program implemented on a company wide basis. It also helps to provide OSHA training in compliance to alleviate favoritism. Today, safety training programs are easily accessible online at the convenience of employer and employees. When employers place greater focus on a safe and healthy workforce, there is a natural inclination by employees to reinforce team work to achieve company goals. Employers should also recognize each employee's particular skill set and capabilities and develop these to help equalize job qualifications among all employees.
