It’s fairly well established that contacts matter in life, and that we increasingly get where we want to go based upon our connections as much as the skills and knowledge we possess.

It’s tempting to think that such displays of nepotism are cheap and easy ways to get ahead in life, but a recent study from researchers at Butler University highlights the cost involved in such behaviors.

“People have negative attitudes toward nepotism and consequently, stigmatize those who benefit from a family connection in the hiring process,” the authors say.

The costs of nepotism

Participants were put in a position whereby their organization was about to hire a new manager, who would be their future boss.  Each candidate had a pack of information about them, which included their CV, an evaluation of their job history, the job description itself and the acceptance/rejection letter sent to each candidate.

For each participant the information was identical for two of the candidates, with one of the two appearing underqualified whilst another appeared decent without being exceptional.

The third, and final candidate was the one that was eventually hired, and their details varied.  Sometimes they were more qualified than the decent candidate, sometimes they were less so.  Half of the participants were given extra information that showed that the candidate was actually the son of the vice-president of their organization.

Each participant was then required to complete a questionnaire where they would assess the skills of their new boss, as well as things like their luck and political capabilities.

The stigma of nepotism

Perhaps not surprisingly it emerged that when people gain a position through their connections rather than their ability, we tend to stigmatize them.  Interestingly, this is usually the case regardless of how well qualified they may be for the job.  The son of the vice-president was rated as less capable than the other candidates, even when their qualifications and experience would appear to make them more so.

“In all three qualifications conditions, the nepotism beneficiary was, in an absolute sense, qualified for the position since he met, or exceeded, the minimum qualifications for the position and yet, despite this, was still viewed more negatively than the non-nepotism hire,” the researchers say.

In other words, people would always regard their success as the result of nepotism rather than more worthwhile factors such as ability or effort.

Gender and nepotism

A second experiment then replicated the conditions of the first, but this time divided the family candidate equally between male and female.

Just as before, those who got their promotion seemingly due to their family connections were punished in the eyes of their peers, and this was consistent regardless of gender.

“We found that nepotism hires were seen as possessing fewer of the characteristics that people typically associate with successful managers and thus, are likely to be viewed as having less management potential than merit hires,” the authors reveal.

All of which should strike a significant note of caution for managers who wish to recruit their family into the organization in some way.  Even if they are aptly qualified for the role you have in mind for them, it’s likely that their peers will regard the position as being unfairly gained.