Meritocracy—advancing and rewarding people based on their talents and hard work—is a widely embraced ideal across education, business, and government. It drives modern talent management systems designed to attract, screen, and retain the most qualified and highest-performing individuals. But although meritocracy largely replaced patronage and favoritism linked to class, wealth, or family connections, today it has come under scrutiny for contributing to social inequalities and reinforcing systemic biases. Why did what was once heralded as a progressive solution to inherited privilege come to perpetuate unfairness and inequity? What can go wrong when organizations rely on merit as their guiding principle? How can today’s leaders address these failures?

In The Meritocracy Paradox, Emilio J. Castilla offers timely new answers to these fundamental questions. He analyzes the structure and culture of meritocracy inside organizations, providing real-world examples—from merit-based bonus systems in companies to admissions decisions at elite universities—to show how personal biases and other social barriers can undermine the values and outcomes these systems are meant to uphold. Castilla provides a practical, research-backed framework to help organizations achieve true fairness and opportunity for all. Drawing on successful data-based interventions, he presents concrete strategies for improving selection, hiring, evaluation, promotion, and compensation processes—revealing how motivated leaders can identify and correct shortcomings with cost-effective, targeted solutions that deliver proven results.

The Meritocracy Paradox is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand and improve the intersection of merit, fairness, and equal opportunity in contemporary organizations.