Nepotism is the enemy of equity in the workplace
This article is my last in a series of articles written for Black history Month.
Nepotism is a term that doesn’t receive the kind of attention it fully deserves when trying to explain the impact of systemic racism in the workplace. Nepotism is favouritism, both seen and unseen, that can impact anyone. Although race can be a factor it’s not always exclusively the case. Nepotism institutionalizes barriers to employment, and promotion — evidenced by the absence of Black business professionals and executives on Bay Street.
Nepotism is not a friend of equity. rather, it’s the seed that grows the weed, that strangles notions of fairness, impartiality and fair play in the workplace for BIPOC people. Nepotism needs to be checked at the boardroom door, so it doesn’t disadvantage BIPOC and other groups, including women, who may also be disproportionately impacted by this destructive force.
Our demands aren’t about discouraging the competitive battles that come with hiring, retention and promotions; the problem is that nepotism poisons and bends the rules in favour of persons who might not otherwise reach the career heights they are given. Those advantages are often not extended to BIPOC and other afflicted communities.
No comfort should be given to the unscrupulous who stand in place of good people, taking away what should be earned, while obtaining the fruits of better pay and benefits.
The most dangerous and widespread incarnation of nepotism is the Old Boys club, which is at least now being openly confronted with some regularity, and may be part of the reason why the former defence chief Jonathan Vance eluded repercussions, and why perhaps Julie Payette succeeded where she shouldn’t have, and we hope is not the case for canada’s newly minted defence chief, Admiral Art Mcdonald, who has voluntary stepped aside as a result of his own sexual misconduct investigation.
One does wonder how it can be that one’s documented and troubling behaviour is excused and over looked in favour of promotion. Nepotism has to have played a role and if not, full disclosure in advance of promotion should always be preferred, so one may be fairly assessed and adjudicated for the role they are seeking.
Nepotism is an antiquated construct of the trusted business relationship: the well-connected get introduced, promoted, moved along and up with dizzying ease and speed with rubber stamp accountability. entitled, they devour plum junior and senior roles with the hope that their performance will follow, eventually.
As the doors of leadership become unlocked, the path to never ending opportunities get lit up like an airport runway — no questions, no obstacles, no impediments in their rise.
The successful, and at times ill equipped and lacking competence, unable to do what they were hired to do, are pushed along and helped along. This soft form of discrimination disproportionately impacts those with less privilege and access to corporate elites. Preferential hiring, and promotion scandals arising out of privilege usually don’t ensnare the BIPOC community, nor should they. We too want hiring and promotion to be based on merit.
What’s evident about privilege is it’s often not the standard by which people of colour are judged, so much as the lesser standard by which the undeserved are measured. If anything, the bar is set higher or the scrutiny becomes almost obsessive for BIPOC employees and women.
To counteract the impact of nepotism, new activism has taken shape including initiatives like the Black North pledge — which encourages canadian ceos to commit their organizations to a minimum percentage of executive and board roles based in canada being held by Black leaders.
There is also the Black Opportunity Fund, described by its proponents as a “partnership between businesses, philanthropists and foundations … (to) prioritize initiatives around education, health care, youth, women, social justice, immigration, technology, entrepreneurship, and politics that impact the quality of life in the Black community.”
Though the targets, and initiatives are welcomed and necessary, it’s disappointing that these efforts are even required, let alone having to be created today. It’s “different strokes” for less privileged folks.
It’s what unfortunately ends up forcing the sometimes intrusive hand of government to bring onerous regulations to level the career-playing field in the face of factors that overwhelmingly support positions of privilege.
Solving the problem of systemic anti-black racism in workplaces requires better identification and awareness of nepotism and its impact within corporate culture.
With the arrival of c-suite positions that include diversity & Inclusion Officers and the empowerment of better corporate listening via committee, and greater employee feedback, hopes to diminish nepotism’s influence by supporting transparent hiring will work to change the narrative.
efforts to create business environments where the values and goals of organizations are merit based should always be the ultimate goal. Without it, nepotism will continue to run wild and forestall ongoing efforts for real change for BIPOC and other marginalized communities.