5 Ways to Deal with a Credit Hog

Every office has that one person. You know the one—the person who is constantly claiming credit for successes and blaming others for failures. The person who believes they did the most work on the team, even if they didn't. 

After several years of remote and hybrid work—which allowed them to hide behind video screens or in discreet chats and messages—the office credit hog is back. Or back in your face, at least: Office-occupancy rates hit 54% in the 10 largest US cities at the end of January, the highest level since the pandemic. “Being back in the office means more encounters with individuals who are eager to take credit for the work of others,” says Korn Ferry Advance career coach Angele Galle Sylvester. 

Dealing with a colleague who constantly overstates their contributions or minimizes those of others is trickier than it seems. We’re taught to emphasize team and collaboration, for instance, so how do you go about calling out a credit hog without looking petty or selfish? At the same time, with companies laying off people in droves and spending billions implementing AI, having your contributions go unnoticed or claimed by someone else could put your job at risk. 

Here are some ways to help prevent a credit hog stealing the spotlight away from your or your team's accomplishments.

Log your wins.

Sylvester says it’s a good habit to keep track of your accomplishments. Put a folder on your desktop where you can log emails and feedback from colleagues or clients on your performance. Create a spreadsheet or document where you can detail your exact role and responsibilities on projects. And, says Sylvester, don’t wait until performance-review time to show them to your manager. “Share them with your manager regularly to keep them up to date on what you’re working on and what your involvement has been,” she says.

Conduct post-project debriefings.

As much as we hate meetings, following up with team members to review what went well with a project and what could have been done differently can be helpful in thwarting a credit hog. Sylvester says post-project debriefings provide an opportunity to discuss what you were responsible for and how it was delivered. “It allows for an open dialogue around the work each individual did and the results,” she says. 

Find supporters.

Build relationships with people in and out of your department who can share feedback on your contributions to specific assignments or clients when you’re facing a performance review, promotion opportunity, and more. Rather than directly calling out a credit hog, find supporters to highlight your performance, says Korn Ferry Advance career coach Esteban Dominguez-Boonefaes.

Get seen.

Increase your profile and visibility internally by speaking during a town hall, being a panelist on a webinar, or participating in other events or opportunities, says Dominguez-Boonefaes. He has one client, for instance, whose team uses an internal chat channel to regular share news of customer successes and other achievements. “Taking advantage of these kinds of opportunities is a way to ‘protect’ your successes from being claimed by someone else,” he says.

Understand the behavior.

Sometimes perception isn’t always reality. Which is to say, sometimes a credit hog doesn’t realize how they’re conducting themselves, notes Sylvester. “Sometimes an employee is just really excited about the work that they are doing,” she says. It’s up to managers and leaders to give employees open and honest feedback if they are being perceived in a certain way. “Feedback can be a true gift,” Sylvester says.

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s career development capabilities from Korn Ferry Advance. 

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