Going for promotion
Putting yourself forward for a promotion can sometimes seem quite daunting but with the right planning and dialogue it can work to everyone's advantage – both employer and employee.
Deciding on what you want to do is key to mapping your career. Sit down and really analyse where you want your career to go and where you want to be in the next year, two years, and five years. Once you know where you want to go you need to investigate whether this will be through promotion with your current employer or if it will be in another company where career progression is clearer.
Companies should have clear policies on the communication of promotion opportunities and offer these to internal staff first before looking outside – the appraisal process as well will help managers identify key talent that they wish to progress. The process for applying for these positions needs to be clear for all parties and managers should encourage their reports to further themselves, and not put up barriers stopping progression of staff – even if it means leaving that particular department or area.
Ian Massey, client partner at Capital Consulting outlines; "Get yourself into the practice of recognising when you have been doing a good job over a period of time. This is the classic signal that you're ready for a promotion or a pay increase, or both. Make sure you are exceeding your targets in your appraisal and performance review, and then get yourself into the habit of asking for what you deserve."
Your current employer may well be the place you want to stay and if that is the case, you need to find out how they publicise internal opportunities and the opportunities they offer you for career progression. The performance and appraisal process is key to this but you can do some things to promote yourself and also to further your understanding of your organisation and your skills.
Are there areas of your training that could help you achieve your promotion? If so, you may want identify what training courses you would like to do – a lot of companies will operate both internal training programmes and pay for you to attend external training, or sponsor you while you do an MBA for example. These training opportunities should be communicated via your HR department or through your manager – but again, training and a Personal Development Plan (PDP) should be discussed at your appraisals.
As Fiona Birt-Llewellin, head of HR at Capital Consulting explains; "Capital Consulting has instituted a PDP for all staff. From those outputs we tailor our training courses, along with offering ad hoc courses when requested.”
She continues; "Growing and learning is one of our core values and we actively encourage staff to apply for promotion where we see the talent. We also offer financial support and flexible working if people wish to study for a professional qualification or need to attend college".
Work-shadowing colleagues can sometimes be a good exercise in understanding what different roles are available to you in your organisation. You should also talk to people in the positions you want to aim for and ask if they want any assistance that would enable you to get a good understanding of the role they do.
Increasing your visibility in the organisation and volunteering for projects outside your remit will also expand your knowledge of the organisation and other areas within it. Try and get involved in assignments in different areas of the company and with any working committees that are tackling things on a company-wide basis.
As mentioned above, the performance and appraisal process is a vital part of any career progression. The future and development a person's career with a company should be discussed at every appraisal – this is a key tool for companies to keep the best talent within their organisation and shows employees that they are in an organisation which is committed to learning and development and wants to retain their skills.
Good practice in the performance and appraisal area is to identify and write a PDP for every employee. This will help identify what gaps someone has in their skills and how best to tailor training programmes.
If your company does not have a robust performance and appraisal process, you need to open a dialogue with either your HR department or direct manager. This should be approached as a positive meeting about the future and not a meeting where you issue an ultimatum. You should clearly state where you would like to work towards in your career and what you see as your progression options. Companies that want to retain talent will be open to your suggestions and will want to keep your skills in house, rather than risk losing you. Do not expect a promotion there and then, but do expect a clear course to be set for future discussions and your development towards that goal.
A company with an open culture and one that really celebrates internal progression and wants to develop their internal talent will be a company that succeeds and becomes an employer of choice. Dialogue through both through the appraisal process and internal communications will ensure that those looking for promotion feel able to talk openly about where they want to progress to.
"It is to our benefit that our staff develop and learn new skills – and it is something we take very seriously,” Birt-Llewellin concludes.
By Nicole Butt, Capital Consulting
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