Wondering how to discuss promotions without overpromising while still embracing an optimistic tone? You might want to normalize having regular workplace promotion conversations and establish a step-by-step promotion path so you can be on the same page as your employees.
Talking to employees about promotions can be a very awkward ordeal. Sometimes you have to deal with promotion requests by letting them down gently and conveying that the time is not right. Other times you need to negotiate the terms of the promotion and discuss a plan that’s feasible for the company and satisfactory to the employee. Learning how to discuss promotions might be a good skill to get right early, and practice is the best way to perfect it.
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How to Discuss Promotion at Work—An Employer Guide to Having “The Talk” with Employees
In most organizations, workplace promotion conversations happen infrequently. There is rarely an opportunity to bring up a promotion with employers without scaring them away, and so employees avoid saying anything, hoping their bosses will recognize that it’s time for change. For employers, it’s much easier to pretend that talking to employees about promotions is not as pressing as some of their other responsibilities. Many prefer to put off the conversation about salary increments and set their sights on other investments instead.
Despite it feeling like an unpleasant discussion for everyone involved, once you learn why your employees want a promotion you’ll also see how to discuss the promotion with them. When you actively engage in these interactions, you’ll soon find that the process is not as difficult as you’d made it out to be.
Why Do Employees Want Promotions?
A promotion is a very critical element of why an employee might stay at an organization. Promotions mean a hike in wages, which undoubtedly improves an employee’s quality of life. But employees don’t chase promotions solely for the salary benefits. There are a lot of reasons why an employee might want to be promoted and there are many benefits they receive from a step up the ladder:
- It conveys an employer’s trust in their abilities and appreciation for their performance so far
- A promotion often means a new role which presents them with new challenges and experiences that excite them
- It increases an employee’s motivation levels and commitment to the role, improving their performance as well
- It represents the employee’s seniority within the workplace and reflects their experience with their role
- It can give an employee the freedom to explore new skills and applications when they are able to move to a higher role and leave behind the more menial parts of their tasks
- A promotion indicates an individual’s movement towards their career goals and a step forward in their career path
- Having a step-by-step promotion path laid out for employees shows them that the company is invested in their careers and cares about their interests
- It reassures the employee that there is still space for them within the organization and that they do not have to look elsewhere for a job
- Some fringe benefits are offered to more senior members of the team and an employee might want to avail of those benefits as an added reward for their efforts
How to Approach Workplace Promotion Conversations
If you’re apprehensive about talking to employees about promotions, you might first want to explore why that is. A promotion is a good thing—it should be a happy, optimistic conversation between employer and employee as both parties unitedly look toward the future. Dealing with promotion requests is rarely as uplifting.
There are many reasons why this happens—an employer is not in a position to support a promotion, the employee asked for the promotion too soon after joining, the employee may not have provided enough signs of being deserving of promotion yet, the promotion opportunities available are unsatisfactory for the employee, etc.
Understanding why the workplace promotion conversation is unpleasant can be a great starting point for determining how to discuss promotions with them in a calm manner. The discussion has the potential to be very productive when handled right.
Stay Up-to-Date with the Employee’s Performance
When talking to employees about promotions, we often base our judgment on a single performance review or their execution of the latest project. This is rarely indicative of all the work that is done by them or how they have grown since they started in that position. Try to check in with employees and their managers regularly to track how they fit into the organization. Have regular conversations with these employees and dial into their progress so you’re more confident about your approach to their promotion.
Ask the Employee about Their Expectations
Employees have their own ideas of why they deserve a promotion and what exactly it means to them. You might cut off a workplace conversation about promotions too soon because you think they’re asking for a big raise that they have not earned yet, but the employee may just be looking for a different role at the company. The latter may be easy to arrange and benefit the organization as well.
Participating in the conversation instead of avoiding it is a good approach to have. Explore what the employee’s expectations are in detail.
Acknowledge Accomplishments and Set Targets
When dealing with promotion requests, regardless of whether the promotion is going through, try to have a positive outlook and appreciate what the employee has done for the company so far. Appreciate their achievements and give them credit for any growth that they have displayed. The conversation should begin and end on a pleasant note as far as possible.
Plan Out a Step-by-Step Promotion Path
For every role at the organization, there should be a step-by-step promotion path chalked out in advance. This gives any incoming employee a clear idea of how and when they can progress in their positions. A specific employee might have different plans and fit into the organization differently, so the promotion can be customized for them, but having a basic structure helps them envision the starting point and the traditional path at least. Discussing a promotion in advance makes it easier for the employer and employee when the time for the conversation arrives.
Be Gentle When Talking to Employees about Promotion
Promotions are a sensitive topic and it takes a lot of courage for an employee to bring it up. You should be honest about the employee’s chances of getting a promotion, as this lets them know where they stand with the organization. Either they can discuss a plan to improve their performance, accept their current position as is, or look for another job opportunity. However they choose to proceed, they don’t hold any false expectations from the organization at the very least.
Honesty does not mean being rude or crude, so it is essential to ensure the conversation maintains a professional tone and conveys a sense of genuine interest in the employee’s well-being. Approach the conversation with empathy and support. Transparency is essential but it should be employed without cutting them to shreds.
Back the Decision With Clear Data
When preparing notes on how to discuss a promotion with employees, try to create a structured document that the employee can refer to after the conversation. Creating a data sheet with the feedback they’ve received, areas of growth, areas of improvement, measurement of various competencies, etc. will give the employee a clear snapshot of the reasoning behind the decision. This can help with any concerns about unfair treatment or any resentment surrounding why a particular employee was promoted. Harvard Business Review, for example, recommends using a matrix based on Claudio Fernández-Aráoz’s four hallmarks of potential, to assess the employee’s current capabilities and where they need to improve.
Discuss the Next Steps during the Workplace Promotion Conversation
When talking to employees about promotions, it is essential for it to extend beyond a “yes” or a “no.” Employees should walk away from the conversation with a clear idea of what to do next instead of feeling lost and confused with no timeline in mind. If the employee is set to receive a promotion, discuss when they can expect to receive it and how their role might evolve next. If they need further training on their upcoming role, have a conversation about how that will be planned without affecting their current work so they have an idea of what to expect.
In case the employee is not in line to receive a promotion immediately, discuss what they need to work on next to make it possible. Set goals that they can target and work towards to give them purpose within the workplace.
Normalize Workplace Conversations About Promotion
All the points we’ve discussed so far are very useful ideas when it comes to talking to employees about promotions. One of the best things a company can do for its employees is to normalize having these conversations regularly with managers and HR teams. Promotions are treated as a taboo topic and most refrain from bringing it up no matter how much the question is weighing on their minds. When the time for a promotion comes and goes without an employer bringing it up, employees are left distracted and disheartened by their employer’s lack of interest in their work.
Employees even find it easier to look for a new job with a better role and salary, instead of putting themselves in a position where they have to beg for a promotion. It’s very easy to lose talented employees this way. When you chart out a step-by-step promotion path for a role, be sure to follow the plan and check in with employees to give them an update when they reach a milestone. In addition to this, welcome employees to discuss their concerns and interests with the management and pay attention to their expectations when they are shared.
Employees appreciate an employer who is invested in their career and well-being and if you create a culture where this is regularly conveyed, you’ll find employees more willing to talk through their concerns and resolve them with you.