Asking for a Promotion
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Preparation: You need to document your achievements accomplished at your current position. Have copies of your last appraisal and remarks made and show whether you improved in your weak areas and whether you continued to succeed in your strong areas. Also point out successful project in your department/section that you handled especially if you were directly involved in making these success happen.
Be sure that your co-workers and management view you as a positive, creative individual who is energetic and optimistic and people view you as a responsible, creative team player. In other words make sure you have a solid reputation with both junior staff and your seniors.
Make an appointment with your boss and be ready to explain to him/her the reasons you think you deserve a promotion. Show that you are always putting the interests of the company ahead of any other interest and also be ready to give ideas on how the company can grow and improve. Be ready to show how you will put your ideas into practice and what impact your ideas may have on sales revenue, employee morale, productivity or overall company improvement.
Also show your boss what actions you have taken to put yourself in contention for a promotion, whether you have taken managerial classes, seminars or workshops that you have attended related to the new position you are seeking.
Be prepared for a Yes or a No answer. If it is a No, then politely ask the reasons why you are being denied a promotion and what you can do to put yourself ready the next time an opportunity arises. If you are denied a promotion because there are no vacancies at the top, then you can opt for a salary increment or you can look for a position in another firm.
Lastly offer thanks to your boss for the opportunity to talk.
Behaviour is the key to a promotion. Management likes people to act professionally at all times thus you need to.
- Dress neatly
- Always be positive ever in tough situations
- Be a problem solver: always approach our boss with a solution to a problem and not a problem only. This will make him/her see you as a forward and creative thinker.
- Be a team player: this helps to build your reputation and increase ones value to the organization.
- Always be ready and willing to put in the extra hours without complaints and the same goes for extra responsibilities. You should not be saying things like:
- “It is not my job to do that”
- “You didn’t ask me, so I didn’t tell you”
- “It’s not my company”
- Gossiping e.t.c
Timing is also key to a promotion: You need to look at the company and see how it is doing. There is a high chance of getting that promotion if things are moving well for the company. If the sales are up, productivity is high this is the right time to ride on that positive wave and ask for promotion. When things are not looking up for the company then you need to hold your horses, unless you have a strong case and great ideas to improve the company’s current situation.
Networking also helps in a promotion. It helps you understand the organization better especially if you network with people from other areas of the company. It also helps when people especially senior management know you, your strength and weakness and major accomplishments in the company that you have been involved with. It is these senior management people who can either clear your way to promotion. So make sure you have a good rapport with them and other staff from different departments.
A good job promotion should come with all benefits for that position. This might be:
a. More Pay: definitely a new promotion should come with an appropriate pay rise,
appropriate meaning the industry standard for that job title. This will call upon you to do your research and see what the industry standard for that position is.
b. Better benefits: Some organizations may decide to give you more benefits instead
of a pay rise. These requests may include
- stock options
- bonuses
- company car
- better medical coverage for your family
- An expense account.
You need to be careful with these benefits since some may cost you more than you know. Always check how much you will have after taxes, what benefits will entail you to spend more on other areas e.g. better company car = high insurance premiums.
