How to Promote from Within in Your Business
Promoting from within may sound like a straightforward step, but it isn’t as simple as giving an employee a new title and pay raise. Businesses need to have a career path set out before new hires start at a company. While the needs and direction of a company can and will change over time, having a career path mapped out in general when a new role is opened up will help to attract talent that is growth-driven and ready to dig in for the long haul.
How to “Promote From Within”
Once a career path is established, employees can become more engaged with their work and reduce the risk of burning out. After an employee is brought on board, a business needs to foster growth in them through continued learning and opportunities for advancement and development.
It Starts at the Top
A company’s leadership team plays an important part in creating a culture of promoting talent from within. While employees can find ways to educate themselves and be in a better position to grow within a company, it’s their managers and leaders that need to foster a sense of mentorship in them.
It’s also important to recognize employees for their accomplishments of any size and merit on a regular basis. Many companies establish an employee recognition program to create a time and space to reward employees for their hard work and dedication to a job between promotions.
Knowing When to Promote
Some employers may utilize annual or bi-annual reviews when it comes to promoting employees. Some companies may not rely so much on a timeframe for promotions, instead opting for promotions based on accomplishments at any given time. Having reviews can open up conversations between employees and their supervisors, giving each party a better understanding of the employee’s performance and the company’s intentions for them in terms of their future and growth.
No matter when and how a company decides to promote employees, the most important thing to remember is to operate transparently. Companies should be clear and specific about what employees can do in order to meet their next step up at work.
Avoiding Claims
Another important component of promoting employees from within that may be overlooked is having to prepare for the possibility that a claim may be made against you. Federal and state laws protect employees from workplace discrimination, including being passed over for a promotion because of their age, sex, race, religion, disability, and other factors. If someone feels that they have been passed over for a promotion for any of these reasons, or they feel they have a valid reason in general, they could potentially bring a discrimination lawsuit against you.
If this happens, it’s important to have comprehensive business insurance, such as EPLI, which can help businesses avoid drawn-out litigation. Even if a company is not found to be at fault, they still have to pay for time in court or meetings with legal representation. This kind of business insurance can help to provide resources to keep these risks low and finances protected.
Promoting for Time or Performance
In general, there are two major types of promotion: performance and seniority. For performance, or merit, consider employees who consistently deliver great results. For seniority, employers should consider how long an employee has been in their role and how long it’s been since they were last promoted.
It’s important for leadership in a business to keep a dialogue open with employees to gauge how they’re feeling about their role and if they want and/or see a future within the company. This will help to measure their interests and see what roles they could potentially be fit for in the long-term.
About Byrnes Agency
At Byrnes Agency, we offer insurance solutions that can be tailored to meet your specific needs. Whether you’re looking for personal policies or commercial coverage, we have the right coverage for you. To learn more about our products, contact us today at one of our two locations.
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Tags: Employee Promotion, Employee Recognition, Employment Practices, Employment Practices Liability, EPLI, Promotion