Being aware of the ‘similar to me’ effect

“For a clever man, different cultures, different lives, different attitudes, different dreams, different of everything are a good teacher! You only take the things you already know from somebody or something like you!” – Mehmet Murat ildan.

What do you and your closest associates have in common? Have you attended the same primary or secondary school, have similar careers, grew up in the same community or have similar childhood experiences? One of the things I look forward to most when a new member joins an organization is to see the alliances that would be formed. I am always intrigued at the stories that are told just by the associations. The saying you are known by the company you keep is the same as the ‘similar-to-me effect.’ Today, we examine the similar-to-me effects and look at a couple ways in which it impacts organizations.

The’ similar-to-me effect’, also referred to as the ‘similarity-attraction effect’, is a cognitive bias in which we are inclined to prefer people who are similar to us in some form. We may be drawn to people because of similarity in age, gender, ethnicity, education, interest, values, experience, etc.

While it may seem natural to have an affinity to people who are similar to us, this affinity bias can lead to unfavourable consequences when applied to professional decisions such as hiring, promotion and performance management.

If you have ever wondered why when a young person from the community you grew up in walks into an interview and you recognize that person, you immediately feel an instant connection, it is because of the similar-to me effect. This phenomenon is common during the hiring process and often results in impulsive hires. Hiring managers’ decisions are often influenced by interviewees affiliates, hobbies, styles, height, weight, etc. As a result, hiring managers make impulsive decisions without assessing the candidate’s qualifications, experiences, attributes, and values and whether the candidates are the right fit for the organization.

If you have ever questioned why, a manager who worked his way up in an organization but has never formalized his education is inclined to promote employees with on-the-job training but no formal education, it is the similar-to-me effect. This bias has long lasting consequences on the longevity and success of organizations as it often results in cycles of bad practices repeating themselves.

The similar-to-me effect is also evident in performance review. Managers are inclined to give direct reports with similarities a higher rating than those with no obvious similarities. Also, when it comes to disciplinary actions, managers are also more inclined to be lenient to employees with similarities to them. Over the years, I have seen how the similar-to-me effect impact employees who suddenly fall from grace when there is a change in managers within departments. Quite often, the star employee of the previous manager is considered the problem employee of the new manager, while another employee with similarities to the new manager is considered his/her star employee.

An article by The Pennsylvania State University titled Similar-To-Me Effect in the Workplace | Applied Social Psychology (ASP) (psu.edu) states that “the similar-to-me effect represents a possible cause of bias when it comes to judging other people. “In fact, research has shown that when superiors rate their subordinates, the more similar the parties are, the higher rating the superior tends to give” (Greenberg, 2010). “This tendency applies with respect to several different dimensions of similarity, such as similarity of values and habits, similarity of beliefs about the way things should be at work, and similarity with respect to demographic variables (such as age, race, gender, and work experience)” (Greenberg, 2010). The similar-to-me effect seems to be partially the outcome of the tendency for “people to be able to emphasize and relate better to similar others and to be more lenient toward them” (Greenberg, 2010). Yet, “it also appears that subordinates tend to be more trusting and confident in supervisors when they perceive as similar to themselves than those perceived as dissimilar” (Greenberg, 2010). Subsequently, they may have more of a “positive relationship with such individuals and this may lead superiors to judge similar subordinates more favorably” (Greenberg, 2010).”

The similar-to-me effect is a psychological phenomenon that causes people to favour those who are like them. It is therefore important for managers to be aware of the similar-to-me bias and aspire to keep their perceptions in check as decisions that are influenced by biases could have long lasting consequences on the organization.

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