How to ask for a promotion

You know that you are ready for a promotion when you reach a stage where your actual job duties far exceed your job description. Even more, you know for certain that you’ve outgrown your current job and need new challenges to keep you going. And you are sure that a promotion right now will take you to the where you want to go next in your career.

Before you ask for the promotion:

Before taking the big step and asking your boss for the promotion, ensure that you have thought through how your responsibilities will be different once you have been promoted , and that you are comfortable with what that would mean. You also need to be confident that that the promotion will make you happy, and that you are ready to stretch yourself in a new role. Look at your colleagues around you. Make sure that you will have access to the resources you will need to be successful in the new job. Remember , some organisations are no set-up to provide newly promoted employees with the tools to succeed.

Most importantly, if you believe that you’re a proven contributor, then definitely go for the promotion. But be honest with yourself. Do not ask for the promotion just because you feel you deserve it, or that your boss or your company owes it to you. In my experience working in both Operations and HR, most promotions are not about fairness or rewarding past performances. As managers what we are more interested in , is what you will do for the organisation in the future.

How to ask for a promotion:

And now the obligatory But ,

But first, you need to ensure that you prepare for meeting your boss and asking for the promotion.

Think of the promotion meeting as a job interview (even if it is with your current boss). Start by learning all about the new roles required skills and responsibilities.

Make it easy for your boss to say yes:

• Pick the right time to meet about your promotion. You need to ensure that you understand the company’s current numbers and performance, and whether this is the right time to ask for the promotion. If you ask right after the quarters numbers come in low, or just after the company has lost a major client, the likelihood of your request been accepted will be dramatically lowered.
• Schedule an appointment, AND make sure that your boss knows in advance what you want to talk about. Give your boss, your materials (resume, proposed job descriptions) ahead of time , so that she can review them.
• Focus on how the organisation will benefit with you in this job AND how your boss’s goals will be better addressed. Remember your boss needs to know what’s in it for him/her.
• Prepare to be asked : Can you do the job? How will it impact current work processes and people if you move? Who is going to handle your old job. You need to ensure that you have made contingency plans for these questions, as your boss needs to ensure that the department will still function smoothly if you are promoted.

Send Yaseen Dadabhay an email at blog@careermavericks.com

Did you enjoy this article? Tweet Share the Love

Get Free Updates