how to ask for promotion [Expert Tips]

when to ask for a promotion

Before asking your superiors about a promotion, ask yourself whether the time is now. Below are some of the cases where it is the best time to ask for a promotion.

Your work has had a positive impact on the business.

All of your work in your current position is essential to growing the business. Still, if you see that your work is making a measurable difference – you may have an excellent case for a promotion.

Keep a log of all your achievements, such as revenue-generating projects or highly successful campaigns. Also, ask your manager if there are any other opportunities for you to further impact the business.

You have taken on more responsibilities.

Look over your job description and assess whether your current responsibilities go beyond the initial scope of your job.

It’s normal for job duties to evolve, but if you see yourself growing into a leadership or management role – it may be time for a promotion.

Discuss with your manager the expectations of your current position and how they might fit into the higher role.

You are ready to grow within the company.

If you’ve been in your current role for at least a year or two, you may feel ready to transfer and apply the experience you’ve gained to a more important role. It is common for companies to hire internally to save time and resources.

So, if you see that a position is open at your company and you think you’re a good fit, talk to your manager about the opportunity.

Your experience and familiarity with the company can give you an advantage over other candidates.

how to ask for a promotion at work

Before asking for a promotion, research the skills needed for the role you want to assume and try to have an early conversation with your manager about your career trajectory.

Once you feel you are ready to take your career to the next level with a promotion, keep the following tips in mind:

Consider your relationship with your manager.

If you are on good terms then you can have a frank talk with your manager about your career trajectory.

The best managers are the ones who know how to create or find opportunities that match your skills, interests, and challenges, so these are some of the things to outline before the conversation.

However, if your relationship with your boss isn’t that great, or they aren’t in a position to make decisions, better take a look. Find out who is the best person to talk to, even if they work in a different department.

Be aware of the promotion process.

Before you even ask, you should check to see if there is a formal process that you and your manager must follow when handling promotions. Do you have to be with the company for a specific amount of time?

Is there a special way you need to communicate about promotions?

If you need to find out your company’s formal process regarding promotions, or if there is one, you need to ask your manager.

If you’re nervous about asking your manager about the formal process before discussing a promotion, career strategist Jennifer Brick says one thing to remember:

“If you’re not having an open and frank conversation with your boss about your career ambitions and the fact that you want to get promoted, then you’re not putting them in a position where they’re going to be able to help you.” Will be. Take him.”

Brick says your manager will be in the best position to give you the support and guidance you need to advance within the company.

,[Having that discussion] It’ll make your life so much easier,” she says. “And it’s going to increase your chances of promotion and pay raises, whether you have a formal process in place or not.”

View promotion as an investment.

“In essence, you’re asking the company to invest in you,” says Patrick Barr, owner and managing partner of Barr Performance Coaching.

“So, we need to look at this as an investment decision, and so we need to think about it as a business case,” he says.

Barr states that when a job promotion affects the individual, it is necessary to take the “personal” and emotions out of the question and approach the subject from a strictly business standpoint.

“The first thing you need to think about is your impact on the company,” Barr explains. “What is it that you provide? What is it that you bring to the organization in terms of value that makes it worthwhile for the organization to pay you more?”

Barr also suggests making the decision easier for your boss because your boss still has to make the case to your superiors as to why you should get a pay raise or promotion.

“The best way to do this is to write very clearly about the improvements you’ve made over the past 12 months in your role and the improvements you plan to drive in the future.”

Align your promotion with the success of the company.

Career coach Brittany Helles of Helles Consulting agrees to have a highlight reel of your progress and accomplishments within your role to present to your manager when you’re up for promotion.

Hayles also suggests highlighting how a promotion benefits the company and your team.

she explains:

“In addition to talking about those career highlights and how amazing you are, now align it to saying, ‘Because I did all these amazing things when I got promoted, it gives me more autonomy to do even more amazing things. going to give.”

Helms says to focus on autonomy.

“A promotion should lead to more autonomy,” she says. “This is supposed to lead to an opportunity to have more control over leadership – whether you’re leading more people or leading more processes.”

So, emphasize those moments where you single-handedly took the initiative without being told what to do. This will show that you can be trusted to be more autonomous in your next role.

Essentially, you want to keep your manager in the loop of your career aspirations, and you’ll need to pitch your promotion in a way that benefits the company and not just you.

To do this, start keeping track of your progress and accomplishment as early as possible, so you can make your case that a promotion will bring the company closer to its goals.

No problem – be sure! If you want the company to believe in your pitch, you must first believe in yourself.