What to do When Your Employee Wants a Promotion

A pretty common situation for the people leaders I work with is when an employee wants a promotion that isn’t possible or appropriate at the time. There is red tape in the way, the person isn't ready, there simply aren’t openings, or myriad other reasons. The leader faces a conundrum in responding to the employee in a way that doesn’t damage morale. 

A first step is for leaders to get out of yes/no framing in their own minds about the situation. I’ve seen leaders worry about how they’ll explain a ‘no,’ spending unnecessary time fretting. There's likely a path forward in the gray zone between the yes and the no. Integrative thinking will help you find a third alternative between the yes and the no. Is there an alternative focus that will satisfy the employee by supporting their growth and leadership development? How much of the red-tape issues can be navigated or shared with the employee?

Leaders: here are three constructive ways to respond to your employee’s desire for a promotion.

Explore what a promotion would mean for them

There are many reasons someone might be asking for a promotion -- money, status, wanting to feel progress or know where they’re headed, or wanting to feel valued. Many employees want a combination of these. Exploring together what intrinsic need the promotion request will meet will broaden your ability to see other creative ways to meet that same need.

Co-create a short-term intention or destination

How can you help your employee get some of the meaning that they're looking for, even if the title change can't happen right away? Based on why a promotion is meaningful, there are likely short-term focus areas or goals that will support this person. If they’re looking to feel some career progression, perhaps their day-to-day tasks can shift slightly to begin preparing for a promotion down the road. Are there any organizational goals outside of their job description that could give them greater purpose and allow their leadership skills to shine?

Start looking for ways to acknowledge

They've revealed to you that there's an itch....some inkling in this person that they're no longer simply happy where they are. You'd be remiss to ignore that. A simple habit leaders can begin immediately is to show employees that they value their strengths. The practice of acknowledgement will help leaders and their employees both find creative ways to apply their strengths. If there are gaps that the employee needs to fill in their skillset, put these on the table transparently and make them a regular part of conversations, not just at the yearly performance review meeting.

Promotions can be inherently messy, starting with the simple fact that there are fewer positions available the "higher up" in the hierarchy one gets. The limitations this imposes, not to mention the peer-to-peer competition it can breed, are tricky for people leaders to navigate.

The bottom line is: a desire for a promotion represents unrest. Hear that. See if you can think creatively, beyond the black-and-white concept of sliding people into title slots. That requires transparent dialogue with the employee asking to be promoted.

(Interested in an alternative way to think about organizational structure? Read Map Your Organization in a New Way).