Nepotism statistics

Is it what you know, or who you know, that really counts when landing a job?

Nepotism is the “practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives or friends, especially by giving them jobs.” The name comes from the shady practice of Popes promoting their nephews, but the behaviour is as old as mankind. More recently, the scrutiny of so-called “nepo-babies” (people with successful parents working in the same or related industry) has re-popularised the topic. So, is this an inevitable part of human nature – to help a friend or relative get ahead – or an obstacle in the way of a fairer future?

We asked residents of the U.S., U.K,. and Australia not only about their opinions on nepotism, but their lived experiences helping friends and family find work and finding work through friends and family. Considering respondents’ industry, seniority, and income data, the survey also explores how experiences vary across different demographics of society.

 

 

70.2% of people have been given a contact, interview, or a job via a personal connection

Being on the job market can be an ordeal. One of our recent studies found that only 2% of candidates who apply for a job are selected to attend a job interview. With a huge pool of competition, a personal connection can help you stand out – or even get the role.

Overall, 70.2% of people we surveyed said they had been given a contact, interview, or immediate job via a personal connection.

Of those that have been given an opportunity through their network to land a job, across their lifetimes, most people (29.7%) tend to land 2 jobs through nepotism. On the flip side, only 1.6% of people report having never successfully landed a job when they’ve been given a helping hand.

 

 

And nearly all – 91.3% – said that if they were offered their dream role outright via a personal connection, without the need for an interview, resume or application, they would accept it (although 31.3% would accept but feel uncomfortable doing so).

 

People are more likely to reach out to friends (62.1%) than relatives (37.9%) when networking

But who do people turn to when job searching – and which contact types are most successful? Of those who had used their social networks to help find a job, people were more likely to reach out to friends (62.1%) than a relative (37.9%) when networking to find a job.

In line with this more people (38.1%) said that they heard about the opportunity at their current company via a friend, compared to a relative (18.9%). However, people were more likely to be directly hired by a relative (26.4%) than a friend (19.3%). So, according to the moral standards of the respondents, nepotism is more likely to cross the line (result in a hire without an interview or screening) when it comes to family ties.

 

A third (33.1%) hired via nepotism feel unqualified for their job

Nepotism may have won you the role, but what are the lasting impacts on how you – or others – feel about your job day-to-day? Just over a third (35.9%) said they had been given preferential treatment compared to other colleagues, a third (33.1%) said they felt underqualified for the role and 28.4% said they felt tension from colleagues who knew or suspected they had been hired via a personal connection.

 

 

Of those who have helped a contact get a job, 71.6% said it complicated their personal relationships.

How far would we go to help our loved ones succeed? And can it come at a cost? Nearly all (87.3%) of respondents said that they had helped someone they know get a job, including 27.4% who said they had hired a personal connection outright without an interview or screening.

The research found that people feel less conflicted about favouring personal connections than being favoured. When we asked hypothetically, if someone had their own company, what their policy would be on nepotism, only 6% said they would reject any form of nepotism and 36.2% said they would hire a friend, relative, or someone recommended by one, outright.

But could this come at a personal – rather than professional – cost? Of those who have helped a contact get a job, 71.6% said it has complicated a friendship or relationship with a relative.

 

Most people think it’s who you know (53.6%) not what you know (46.4%)

The survey asked whether it’s who you know, or what you know that is more important when finding a job, 53.6% said ‘who you know’. The people most likely to choose ‘who you know’ were people without formal education (70%) and unemployed people (73.5%). There was also a clear correlation between age and valuing personal connections. Only 37.5% of people aged 18-27 believed ‘who you know’ was more vital, rising to 70% of those aged 70 and over.

 

 

Most people think it’s who you know (53.6%) not what you know (46.4%) which is more important when finding a job. 

Nepotism is clearly perceived as a widespread – not niche – practice. Nearly all (87.7% of people) thought nepotism was common or very common in their industry. 

 

 

Insight into company culture and a sense of community are seen as the biggest positives of nepotism

Half of the survey focused on people’s experiences of nepotism, and the other half asked respondents to reflect on the ethics around the issue, and the impact of nepotism on broader society.

Nearly all people – 91.3% – said that if offered, they would accept their dream role outright via a personal connection, without the need for an interview or application. But when asked elsewhere in the survey if being given a job outright is an unethical form of nepotism – 90.6% agreed.

Clearly, there is a huge gap in what we hypothetically see as right and wrong, and the choices we make when opportunities are presented to us.

Not only do most people think nepotism is already common or very common, but 66.9% also believe it’s on the rise. The results show that the majority of people believe nepotism is a significant and widespread behaviour, but what are people’s ethical standpoints?

We asked our respondents what they believed were the positive and negative sides of nepotism. The most common benefits of nepotism people cited were that an individual has more insight into the company culture before joining (41.1%) and that it maintains a sense of community (38.1%).

On the flip side, the most common downsides of nepotism were that it creates tension or resentment from colleagues (46.4%) and that under-qualified people work roles they aren’t suited for (43.7%). Three-quarters (74%) of respondents also believed that people hired via nepotism receive preferential treatment.

 

 

But there’s a big difference between giving a loved one a helpful email contact and hiring someone with no questions asked. When we asked what levels of nepotism were deemed okay, the responses were:

• It’s okay if someone is just given a contact: 47%
• All forms of nepotism are wrong: 22.3%
• It’s okay if someone is just given a contact and an interview: 21.3%
• All forms of nepotism are okay, including being given the job/opportunity outright: 9.4%

 

 

So although the majority of people think nepotism is justified in some cases (90.6%), only 9.4% of people believe that being given an opportunity outright – without an interview or screening – is okay. On top of this, three-quarters (76.6%) of people believe that there should be more rules and regulations surrounding nepotistic behaviour.

 

Additional study findings:

• Men are more likely to think that nepotism has a net positive impact on society (55.3%) than women (40%).
• Eight in ten (77.3%) know what a “nepo baby” is and 72.3% think “nepo babies” receive too much scrutiny.
• If they had the means, 82.5% would send their children to private school so they had better networking opportunities.
• Three-quarters of respondents (73.4%) think that affluent people or privately educated people have the upper hand when it comes to networking.
• 66.9% of people actively go to professional and social events with the purpose of making business connections.
• Seven in ten (70.2%) suspect they have colleagues hired via a personal connection.

 

Methodology

In July 2024, a total of 1,406 adults from the U.S., UK, and Australia were surveyed about their opinions on nepotism. Demographic data, such as age, gender and profession were also taken into account.

Respondents were asked a series of questions related to societal perceptions of nepotism, personal experiences gaining work opportunities via personal connections and experiences helping their friends and family gain work opportunities.

 

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