Most people want to progress at work, one way or another. For some, that simply means they want to be paid more. For others, it’s about being promoted to a bigger and better job, having greater responsibility or reaching a specific role within an organisation. For many, it’s a combination of these factors
For you, the next step on the career ladder might be the ultimate prize or a stepping stone to where you want to go, but there’s truth in ethnobotanist, Terence McKenna’s quote “If you don’t have a plan, you become part of somebody else’s.” And with 35% of workers currently planning to ask for a raise or promotion, it is not simply having the ambition that matters, but how you pursue your goals.
So, when it comes to your next promotion, how do you ask for it?
How do you politely ask for a promotion?
‘How do you politely ask for a promotion?’ is one of Google’s most frequently asked questions on this topic, which I love because, in a world where we’re all taught to speak our truth, it’s always important to be polite whilst speaking up for your own interests.
If you’re wondering how to ask for a promotion, start with these four key points:
- Your plan: Know what you want both in the short- and long-term.
- Your environment: Think of it from your employer’s perspective – put yourself in their shows.
- Your perspective: Be open to the possibility of a scenario you haven’t considered.
- Your accountability: Think about what’s in your control and what your plan is beyond your current company and employer.
The best employers don’t really need to be asked for a promotion. They know the value of top talent and good team members, how hard it is to find them, and what it costs to recruit. If they want you, they tend to do their best to keep you. That said, not every employer is a great one, and even the good ones will be balancing this knowledge with today’s cash flow.
What do you want from a promotion?
It sounds like an obvious thing to say, but before you march into the boss’s office asking for a promotion, think about what that means to you. Do you want more power? More money? More managerial responsibility? Is it a particular job role, something within your existing department or even a lateral move?
Knowing what you want will help you to be clear in what you’re asking your boss for and make it easier for them to understand what value is in it for them, as well as how they can facilitate your personal goals. They are running their business and that’s their responsibility. They’re not life coaches or mind readers.
Also, don’t just consider your next move – think about where you want to go long-term. Is this company somewhere you can grow? Can you develop in the way you want to? Make sure that what you’re asking for is part of that long-term plan, not just the next step. If you know what you want, you will present your case more coherently and it will be easier for your boss to take you someway towards it.
Why should your employer give you a promotion?
We often get asked: ‘How do you tell your boss you deserve a promotion?’
How you present your case is important and the dynamic between you, your boss and the company is going to come into play a little here.
Most people don’t appreciate being told they’ve missed something, so rather than just telling your boss why you deserve a promotion, think about it from their perspective for a moment. What would make your promotion a no-brainer for them? How does it support their wants and needs?
Their job is to run their company and run it well. Being a good and ethical employer is an important part of that, but from a company perspective, your boss’s priority lies with the health of the business, which includes keeping good people and encouraging them to do a good job.
They have a moral obligation to be decent but it’s not their job to run your career. So, if you’re not being offered a promotion upfront and you need to ask for it, present your case to them so that the question in their mind isn’t ‘Why would I give them a promotion?’ but ‘Why wouldn’t I?’
Other important considerations include:
- What do you bring to the company?
- What skills or capabilities is the company lacking that you could provide?
- What are you currently doing that isn’t part of your job?
- What would you like to do to add value to the company?
- What would it cost to replace you if you left?
It’s not usually a good idea to threaten to leave or to bring up the last point upfront unless you either have a comparable industry salary that shows you’re being underpaid, or you already have a job offer you’re prepared to take. However, being armed with the information will make sure you’re properly informed and know where you stand. Remember that this conversation may also come as a surprise to your boss, so don’t approach this as a confrontational conversation – instead, treat the conversation as an exciting opportunity for you both.
Harvard Business Review says: “Once you’ve clarified exactly what you’re looking for, build a compelling case for why you deserve to move up, especially if you’re asking to advance ahead of your organisation’s promotion cycle.”
They suggest providing:
- Concrete metrics of the impact you’ve had
- Descriptions of solutions you’ve delivered
- Financial outcomes for which you’ve been responsible
Remember, you’re trying to prove that you’re already working at the level you’re asking to be promoted to.
How do I negotiate a promotion with my boss?
Leading on from our last point, successfully negotiating a promotion can depend on a lot of factors. First and foremost, be honest with yourself – would you give yourself a promotion? Do you deserve one? Do you know if the company is in a position to give you one?
Consider the company’s perspective
Your boss might want to promote you to the moon and back but if there are no positions available, or the company isn’t in a financial position to give you more, then no amount of negotiation is going to get you there unless you can provide an idea for where the funding is going to come from.
Provide solutions
No one likes to be backed into a corner, but everyone appreciates a can-do attitude and good ideas. If you can see a path to making the business more successful with a great idea if you were given the time and capacity to make it happen, present that to your boss: “This is what I’m going to do and this is why it’s a great idea for the company – not just for me.”
Understand the chain of command
Do your research if you don’t know already, and find out who the decision-makers are. In large companies, and especially as you get higher up the food chain, the choice to promote someone is often not the choice of one individual but multiple decision-makers. While aiming for the right person, always remember not to be disrespectful to individuals or company culture. After all, this is somewhere you’re looking to move up in – you want to make and keep friends!
Can I ask for a promotion after 1 year?
There’s no perfect time to ask for a promotion, but there’s also no specific time that you shouldn’t. Even if your company has a policy about the time of year in which they consider promotions or the time frames since employment or your last promotion, none of these things are really ever set in stone. Much will depend on what you’re doing and what else is going on in the company. If you joined for one particular set of responsibilities and skills, and you’re being asked to deliver on decidedly more, then it’s reasonable to ask for a promotion if that continues for a period of time, even if it’s within a year of joining.
That said, it’s important not to be tone-deaf as well. If the company is experiencing a round of layoffs or they’ve just lost a load of work, then it’s probably not the best time to ask for more money. However, if money isn’t your goal then it might be a good time to explore other opportunities that could lead to a better CV or higher remuneration down the line. Consider what the company needs as well as what you’re willing to do, and crucially, reflect upon those long-term goals of yours and what steps you need to get there.
As Sabina Nawaz, the global CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer told Harvard Business Review: “When there’s a lot of churn happening, it might be the best thing to jump in, roll up your sleeves, and simply do the work to stabilise the organisation.”
Remember that negotiating a promotion is a process
Don’t be disheartened if things don’t happen immediately. Just because a promotion isn’t forthcoming today doesn’t mean it won’t. Plant the seed and be prepared to let the powers that be sit with it for a while.
It’s important to consider timeframes when you speak to your boss about a possible promotion. We all want everything today, and while a deserved promotion shouldn’t be put on the never-never, be prepared to let them have time to consider your proposal or to compromise on a timescale if they need to move resources around.
Working together respectfully and collaboratively can lead to some really fantastic partnerships between you and your company, and it might take your promotion even further than you imagined.
Be open to the possibility of a scenario you haven’t considered
You might have a clear vision for your career within the company you work for, but it’s always worth being open to someone else’s perspective as well.
Your boss wants their company to do well, and that generally means wanting great minds and motivated people within it. They will have a different perspective both on the organisation and your role within it to the one that you have, and that can bring exciting, different insights into the equation. With that in mind, leave room for their ideas rather than being totally rigid with your own.
Be open to their thoughts and always be prepared to listen.
Think about what’s in your control and what’s not
When we want a promotion it can seem like the be-all and end-all, but you and you alone are really in charge of your career. Go into conversations about a promotion with a positive mindset, but also think about your journey within that company as one option.
Most of us get frustrated at work when we feel dependent on someone else’s decisions. To some extent that’s always true, but you can get over that a bit by thinking about what’s in your control and what your plan is beyond this company and this employer.
That might mean looking to move jobs, start your own company or maybe you’re happy to stick with where you are for another year or so. This shouldn’t be a defensive mindset, but an open one – if your employer is able to escalate your career that’s fantastic, but if they can’t, that’s ok too. How are you going to take control of your future?
Want to learn how to get to the next stage in your career, overcome hurdles and make your millions? One-to-one private business coaching from Matt gives you the guidance you need to reach your personal and professional goals.
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