The term ‘nepo baby’ is enjoying something of a zeitgeist referring to the sons and daughters of artists who become famous themselves, and that neatly sums up what nepotism is. It’s when individuals are appointed to jobs or roles based on their familial or personal connections rather than via individual skills or merit.

Sometimes this works, and after all, family businesses are a staple of the small to medium-scale business environment, but appointing people to roles without just consideration for their skills and abilities is often disastrous. Also, nepotism may include preferential treatment, improved benefits, and perks etc, which can be damaging to overall staff morale.