UK 
United States
A new report, which surveyed 2000 adults, found the UK is rife with nepotism, 42% of workers having gained jobs after being referred by someone they know.
Amongst those respondents, Gen Z and men were the most likely to leverage personal connections to boost their careers. Almost half of men (48%) said they had gained a job through someone they know, compared to 36% of women.
Generationally, more than two thirds (68%) of Gen Z workers (18-24 years) and 60% of Millennials (25-34 years) said they had gained a job or job offer through a personal connection, compared to 25% of those over the age of 55.
The findings suggest that nepotism plays a significant role in helping young people with no experience get themselves on the employment ladder, but also highlights the disadvantage of those workers who lack a strong personal network.
“It’s unsurprising that younger workers are more likely to resort to nepotism,” says Khyati Sundaram, CEO of ethical hiring experts Applied. “‘Entry-level’ roles are increasingly requiring candidates – who are likely to be new to the workforce - to have a number of years of prior relevant work experience. Plus, since Gen Z are more likely to quit jobs they’re unhappy in and be open to switching careers, personal connections offer a route into new sectors in lieu of previous experience.”
Morally conscious nepo workers
Despite being the largest group utilising personal contacts, Gen Z were also the most likely to feel morally conflicted about it. Nepotism has the adverse effect of reinforcing inequality in society, as middle and upper class people are more likely to have a catalogue of wealthy contacts.
“But nepotism only offers a foot in the door for some,” Sundaram says. “For younger workers who lack previous experience and personal connections, nepotism is only widening the gap between those with ‘friends in high places’ and candidates who lack this privilege. For this reason, nepotism shouldn’t have any place in hiring processes.”
Dubbing them ‘nepo babies’, this generation have often taken to social media to lambast those accomplished individuals using the fame or success of a personal contact or family member to excel in their career. Despite this, 75% of Gen Z respondents who disagreed with nepotism on moral grounds said they would still use it to advance their careers anyway.
The Guide to Hiring for Potential
Today’s hiring teams struggle to find candidates with the specific skills and work experiences needed for not only today’s jobs, but also tomorrow’s challenges.
According to HireVue's 2023 Global Trends Report, 40% of hiring leaders say a lack of qualified candidates is the biggest barrier to finding top talent—making it the top challenge for the third year in a row.
With birth rates declining, a tight labour market predicted to be the new normal, and the skills required to perform a job forecast to change by up to 50% (Fast Company) by 2027 - it's essential that talent acquisition leaders look at hiring through a new lens.
But at the end of the day, hiring processes should be focused on one key point: are you really hiring the most capable candidates? The ones who will adapt to tomorrow’s challenges.
Download this guide to learn:
The frustrating experiences candidates have during the interview process
How to harness the power of skills and data and hire the right person at the right time
How hiring for potential achieves multiple hiring objectives
How to help candidates see their own potential and consider more roles
How global brands are successfully hiring for potential
For HR professionals, ensuring that recruitment of young people doesn’t only focus on their previous experience alone is important in guaranteeing nepotism doesn’t reinforce barriers to entry and increase inequality in the workplace.
“By making role-relevant skills rather than previous experience the focus of hiring processes, companies can ensure all candidates get a fair chance - regardless of who they know,” continued Sundaram.
“Teams must also advertise all roles externally (and to diverse talent pools), anonymise applications, score applications blind, and structure interviews to prevent personal connections from influencing hiring decisions. It’s up to companies to create a level playing field for all candidates and guard against the potential for nepotism to have a bigger bearing on who gets what job than demonstrable skills.”
