Promoting from within is a wonderful practice with many benefits. Problems arise, however, when seemingly promotable employees lack leadership skills and proper training isn’t provided. It’s important to consider internal promotions carefully and thoughtfully coach employees to new levels of success so your company can reap the rewards.
The Benefits of Internal Promotion
Employees value working for a company that promotes from within. To them, this shows the company is willing to invest in its people and that it’s a good spot to focus on growing a career. It fosters loyalty and engagement while promoting job security.
For companies, promoting from within means eliminating recruiting costs and lowering training expenses. You already know an employee’s strengths and weaknesses, too, so you can make an informed decision that will boost performance and shorten the learning curve. Plus, employees tend to work harder when they know there’s a possibility of promotion.
The Negatives of Internal Promotion
While there are many positives, it’s important to consider the negatives of internal promotion. Office politics and competition for openings can cause dissatisfaction and poor employee morale. Forcing an internal promotion when a candidate isn’t qualified can have terrible productivity repercussions, too. Finally, because many promotion policies are based on seniority, sometimes the best candidate isn’t the one who is promoted; this often leaves teams fractured and feeling frustrated.
The Importance of Training Internal Hires
When you are deciding on an internal promotion, it’s important to consider the training necessary to get the current employee up to speed with new responsibilities. An all-too-common pitfall is promoting someone without a proper training program that would normally be granted to an external candidate. While a current employee is familiar with the culture and inner workings of the business, there still is a learning curve.
Without a proper training program, staff will take longer to reach their full potential, which is detrimental to the entire team. Before the promotion, consider the employee’s skill set and define the exact responsibilities for the new position. Meet with supervisors and executives to get insight if needed. Then, develop a training program based on the information you’ve collected.
Training Program Essentials for Internal Promotions
- An overview of the new responsibilities and the company’s expectations for the role.
- Processes for managing the team and reporting to senior-level staff.
- Materials and exercises that develop important management skills, such as setting goals and providing constructive feedback to team members.
- Expectations for communication, including specific privacy rules and regulations.
- Sexual harassment and diversity training.
- Opportunities for certifications or other external training necessary to fill holes in employees’ skill set.
Conclusion: Be Thoughtful and Plan Well
When you identify valuable skills in good workers and provide the right training to help them succeed, promoting from within can be powerful for all parties involved. Outside resources can be extremely helpful, such as the GetFive’s Executive Coaching program where executives learn to engage, develop, and support their team to deliver results. Learn more today to help employees navigate the transition smoothly so you can ensure winning results.
