Research: Being Well Connected Isn’t Always Good for Your Career
In many industries, getting hired is not about what someone knows, but who they know. However, new research finds that the same star connections that help a candidate land a new job can hurt them when it comes time for performance evaluations. A study—which included analysis of the career trajectories of NBA head coaches and an experiment with nearly 500 working adults—found that those with star connections are often buffeted from consequences (like being fired) when they underperform, but are also less likely to be rewarded when they perform well. This is because evaluators seek to confirm their positive bias toward the titan: If the titan’s mentee underperforms, evaluators believe it’s a fluke and give them another shot. But if they succeed, it’s seen as expected and unremarkable. Leaders should be aware of the biases these associations produce, especially when it comes time to make hiring or firing decisions.
