I’ve been with my employer for 18 months and still haven’t been promoted. I’m starting to get impatient. What are your tips for accelerating my career?– Benjamin
An ambitious and motivated person to grow within an organization is every employer’s dream! So, don’t be discouraged if promotions don’t arrive as quickly as you’d like. Several factors influence the awarding of promotions. This is why, above all, it is important to inform yourself about the real possibilities of advancement and about the structure of your organization. Here are some useful elements to guide your thoughts.
In general, your manager and management place importance on both your current performance and your potential when analyzing your request for promotion. Leaders seek to establish whether the current quality of your work already meets the expectations of the position you are applying for. Therefore, think realistically about your level of performance and your potential.
High performance means the ability to consistently exceed expectations. Are you producing great results? Do you master the essential skills of your position? How do you contribute to your team’s success? Are you a source of positive influence? Moving to the next level starts with demonstrating high performance in your current role.
Potential includes many dimensions, including the ability to learn and adapt to change. Are you able to quickly acquire and apply new knowledge, skills and ways of doing things? Potential also includes your level of ambition and commitment to the organization: do you embody its values?
Take the time to clarify what really interests you as your next career step. Do you want to diversify your tasks, accumulate related experiences, become a technical expert in your field, manage special projects or people, or act as a mentor to the next generation? Or, are you more looking for a pay raise or greater notoriety through a title change?
Gather your ideas to support your application and express your interest to your manager. Your argument must be based on concrete achievements and contributions, and demonstrate a progression of the mastery of your skills since your entry into the position. Thinking back on feedback received from colleagues, peers, other managers or clients can be very helpful. Your reflection will help your manager not only measure your ambition, but also position you for success so that you can more easily gain approval for your promotion when the time comes.
A promotion usually involves moving to a higher level (echelon). You are in a good position to understand that a higher position comes with more pressure and responsibility. The new position may also require managing a team. Have Benjamin reflect on the following aspects: does he have the right skills to coordinate, motivate, make decisions that impact others, have difficult conversations or even be accountable to management?
Promotion is far from the only way to advance a career. Indeed, lateral movements between departments of your organization, from sales to marketing for example, are a golden opportunity to develop related skills and considerably expand one’s knowledge and network of influence. The same goes for assignments or special projects. These experiences will advance the employee’s career often at the same rate as an actual promotion.
Before granting a promotion, also consider the short-term and long-term impact this move will have on your team or department structure.
Avoid being surprised by a promotion request by staying close to your employees, discussing their careers regularly and getting to know them. Try to understand their aspirations in order to accompany them on their journey and direct them to the best opportunities. Value ambition and explain to your employees the experiences, skills and responsibilities associated with the different levels in order to manage their expectations.
Finally, remain open to requests for promotion and keep your employees’ aspirations alive, for to quote Voltaire: “I would rely more on the zeal of a man hoping for a great reward than on that of a man who has received it.” »
