Nepotism at Work: How to Handle the Situation Professionally

Nepotism and its vices are not limited to Bollywood and the film industry, but it is a widely accepted phenomenon in almost every sector of the world. At the workplace, nepotism causes a disruption in office ethics and lowers employees’ confidence. Like at any other place, nepotism at workplace wrongfully leverages manpower for the incompetent members of the office. If you are in an office that actively partakes in nepotism, you must be aware of its transgression and how it affects employees’ peace of mind. To help you handle nepotism at work, we have compiled a list of tips that you can employ at your workplace. Let’s take a look:

What is Nepotism

Nepotism is the practice of favoring patrons or relatives over others. 

In workplaces and corporate offices, employees expect management to promote or demote people based on their merit and capabilities. However, nepotism causes inequality between employees by making the management bias towards their own relatives and friends. 

Whether you are against nepotism or not depends on whether you have been a victim of or beneficiary of the phenomenon. However, one thing that can be said with certainty is that nepotism is embedded in our DNA and can’t be eliminated easily. As human beings, we have a tendency to help people we know and admire.

How to Deal with Nepotism at Workplace

The first and foremost step is to figure out whether you are experiencing nepotism in your workplace. Is it just you who thinks certain people are being favored because of their relationship with the management or your co-workers are experiencing it as well? When you see an individual getting promoted, make sure to analyses whether they have gotten promoted because of their merit and are they eligible for the post.

If you come across indications of nepotism, approach the issue discreetly. This is your time to turn this moment into special one. A time for you to show the world that what you are capable of and you are just a single step away of building a nice career and that’s the Interview. You have to very positive, confident and last but not least and that’s Honesty. (So how to make your interview session, and how to impress in the interview to get selected and bag your dream job.)

Produce a Valid Proof Record of the Singular Event You Encountered

If you come across an incident of nepotism, make sure to create a record and documents of the particular act. You can also talk to your co-workers whether they have come across such situations and add their account to your record for support.

Find More Encounters and Appraisals

You can obtain additional knowledge about the incident by talking about it with your colleague. Try to extract information through casual conversation and don’t indulge in awkward enquiries as that will raise suspicions against you.

Talk to a Private Person at the Company such as Human Resource Manager

In order to have certain leverage in your favor, you can talk to the human resource expert in the company or establish a meeting with a third-party person who is responsible for a part of the company. While talking to people, try to be brief and knowledgeable. 

You might have to meet the same person more than once, so stay prepared. Moreover, you can also be referred to a ranked person in the office, therefore be confident in your approach.

Be Professional

No matter how you approach the situation, it would be best if you always acted on professional grounds. Don’t let your issues with the company hinder your performance at work and make it easier for management to raise fingers at you. You must act professionally and handle every situation as per the rules and regulations.

Try to Deal with Classes

One of the best ways to deal with nepotism is to work on yourself. Train your mind and habits with personality development programs to improve upon your developmental level. 

Whether you think nepotism is a vice or necessary human behavior, you must have a habitual model of responsibility towards it. Human beings are known to be social in order to survive and keep up with what they are doing. Handling nepotism at work is a due process that one day might conclude itself. For now, however, one needs to work on themselves and be better than everyone else in the room.