Five ways to deal with favouritism in the team

Seeing the boss heap accolades on his or her coterie leads to a feeling of rejection, envy and demoralisation. But you can avoid such feelings, suggests ET.

Get the ‘Why’ Right

Often, a dip in productivity could impact rewards, which the employee blames on favouritism.

"We do not work in an open society and discussions with seniors are limited," says P Thiruvengadam, senior director, Deloitte India.

Go to Super-Boss

"Skip-level meetings, where an employee seeks the advice of super seniors, help," says Ajit Issac, CEO, Ikya Consultants.

Talk to Peers

A chat with peers can help one understand if more people feel they are being sidelined at the cost of others.

However, an employee should be sure that the peers won’t head straight for the boss’s cabin.

Bring in HR

Amitabh Das, CEO of executive search firm Vati Consulting, says HR should be informed, as it can be an impartial judge act as an intermediary.

Change the Team

If one has hit a wall with discussions, a change in team is an alternative.

An employee will have to weigh pros and cons, see if the firm’s brand name is important enough for him or her to be staying on with the company but in a different team.