Promoting an employee isn’t a small decision. With a promotion usually comes a salary increase, as well as additional training and responsibility. This is why managers try to ensure an individual is truly promotion-worthy before moving that individual up the corporate ladder.
5 Signs an Employee is Ready for a Promotion
It’s not always easy to discern whether or not an employee is ready for a promotion. In general, when workers are ready to move up, they…
1. Champion their peers to success — When you see a worker cheering on his or her coworkers and trying to help them reach their goals, consider promoting that person. This is something that natural leaders do.
2. Work at the next level — People who are unfulfilled with the level they are working at will step it up and do work at the next level. Employees who do this may be ready for a promotion. Michelle Tillis Lederman, Executive Essentials, said that when someone is doing aspects of a role before actually getting that role, “They are showing they can do it and, more importantly, they want to do it.” Wait and see if these employees keep working at the next level. If so, consider promotion.
3. Take on new responsibilities without being asked — Individuals who do this will give you the sense that they aren’t just working to pay their rent. They enjoy what they do and don’t mind taking on additional responsibilities. Best of all, they do this without being asked.
4. Have measurable value — All employees are valuable to a company, but some are highly valuable. If someone is ready for a promotion, the numbers will back up that person’s value. For example, if you have tracked the numbers, you will be able to verify to your higher ups that the employee you are considering for promotion typically exceeds his or her sales goals. Numbers sometimes speak louder to company leaders than recommendations do.
5. Want to improve organizational processes — Employees doing the least they can get by with will avoid giving feedback to managers about organizational processes. Conversely, workers who are ready for a promotion will hunger to improve the way things are done around the office. As Digital advertising consultant Robert Weatherhead said, “Employees just getting along in a role won’t have the capacity or desire to be improving things. When delivery becomes easy and mundane, good employees will interrogate how things are being done and make recommendations for improvements or find their own ways of doing things better.”
When is an Employee Ready to Move Up the Corporate Ladder?
You’ll know when employees are ready to be promoted when you notice them…
- Helping their peers to reach goals
- Upping their game at work
- Assuming new responsibilities
- Having measurable value
- Hungering to improve company processes
What members of your team exhibit these behaviors? Have you ever considered promoting them?
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