There are effective ways to ask for a promotion and effectively convince your manager that it is a beneficial decision for all. However, there are ineffective ways to ask for a promotion that will immediately make the employer turn you down.
Here are the most common mistakes employees make when asking for a promotion that you should avoid:
- Don’t demand a promotion- the meeting should be a calm, professional conversation in which you pitch your request. Don’t assume you deserve one and that you will be granted a promotion with or without a good pitch. In no way should you appear demanding no matter how overdue you think the promotion might be.
- Don’t compare yourself to others. Avoid mentioning other people that you think shouldn’t be promoted or highlighting other peoples failures to make yourself look better. It won’t work, it could cast doubt upon your character and have the opposite effect.
- Don’t rely on your relationship with your manager. Just because you are friends with your boss or have a good working relationship doesn’t mean you are guaranteed a promotion. Your manager also answers to a boss and needs a good reason to promote you. Conduct a meeting to discuss a promotion and justify your reasons and the benefits. It would be foolish to base your request on your manager’s generosity or kindness.
- Don’t make it all about you. You need to make it clear that promoting you will benefit the business and that the company stands to gain something from your promotion. Avoid saying things like ‘it’s my time, or ‘I work hard,’ or any kind of superiority. Perhaps your promotion solves a problem and will therefore positively impact the company.
- Don’t appeal to your employer’s emotions. Do not attempt to manipulate or guilt trip your employer into giving you a promotion rather than provide facts and statistics that support your case. Avoid mentioning reasons like ‘I could use the money,’ or ‘I need the money for…’ as this method is unprofessional, desperate and suggests you can’t merit or trust your own worth as a good enough reason to be promoted.
- Don’t lose composure. Remain professional and calm no matter how you feel regarding the meeting. Consider your response if the request is rejected and prepare how you will react e.g. with questions, concerns or ask for more information or reasoning. Taking the news calmly and understandably would show the employer that you are mature enough to understand and accept their decision.
- Don’t get discouraged if you don’t get a promotion right away, there might be issues with timing, finance or employment. If things don’t seem to be going your way don’t lose your temper, composure or emotions, finish stating your case and listen to feedback.