How to Get Promoted at Work

The long-term goal for many employees is to work their way up the corporate ladder, increasing both their responsibilities and earning potential along the way.

In principle, earning a promotion at work is straightforward if you work in a company that supports career progression. Above all, you must be fulfilling your current responsibilities and usually take on additional responsibilities to be eligible for a promotion. However, sometimes just the number of years you have in a business can help you earn a promotion at work.

Read more: How to climb up the career ladder

In this article, we discuss what a promotion is, and show you how to get promoted at work in 5 simple steps.

Step 1: Review what other employees have done in the past to earn a promotion. Situational awareness is key to landing your promotion. Find common achievements, traits, and habits from employees who were successfully promoted in the past, and you’ll be well on your way to a promotion.  

Step 2: Become a problem-solver and go beyond the basic tasks of your job description. Provide more value than your job requires, helping others around you and work across departments where possible (especially support senior management). Think about what your company wants from you and make the effort to provide additional benefits and value as an employee. You can achieve this in two ways. First, improve your skills and abilities to deliver better results and second, gain additional knowledge, and experience to find new opportunities for career growth.

Step 3: Speak with your manager. If you want to find out exactly how to get promoted at work, there’s no better place to start than with the person (or people) that can make it happen for you. In most cases, this will be your Line Manager, Team Leader, or even CEO.

Step 4: Work hard to get noticed. You can perform your role exceptionally but if you’re not putting yourself out there to get noticed, you may fall between the cracks. Show your employer you deserve a promotion by looking for opportunities to showcase your abilities, such as in staff meetings and performance reviews. You can also volunteer in other projects and company-wide events to gain even more exposure. It also pays to ask your management team how they think you’re doing and what you can do to take on additional responsibilities.

Step 5: Gain and demonstrate your leadership skills. Leadership and management skills become essential the higher up the ladder you climb. If you have set yourself the goal of becoming a manager, these tips will help you work towards a leadership promotion:

• Be a role model for your other team members and gain their respect.
• Where possible, show your team that you can step up to lead and motivate them.  
• Become an indispensable member of the team by performing well in every project.   

Read more: How to ask for a pay rise 

What is a promotion?

A job promotion is a process where employees are advanced to a higher position at work or undertaking a new role with additional responsibilities within the organisation because you have demonstrated exceptional performance. Oftentimes a promotion requires individuals to undertake additional training to gain new skills and knowledge to perform this function effectively.

Explore our range of training courses and qualifications to help you gain the edge and work towards a promotion at work.

The benefits of gaining a work promotion

Besides the obvious benefits of career progression (additional responsibilities, increased salary, and a higher/more desired job title), there is a wide range of benefits, from gaining a promotion.

These include:  

• A confidence boost and confirmation that you’re doing a good job within your organisation.
• Increased job security.
• Additional input and further opportunity for growth.

Read more: What are your USPs?

How to accelerate a promotion at work

If you’re serious about earning a promotion, you will need to put in the work to demonstrate that you are the ideal candidate for the promotion. This can become more difficult if there are a few members of the team looking to work towards the same job title, but most often, following the below steps can help you increase your chances of being a successful candidate for promotion:

• Ask for the promotion! If denied, ask what you can do to be successful next time (and make the suggested changes).
• Get clear expectations from your manager.
• Keep a record of all your achievements and times you went beyond your job description.
• Become friendly with your HR team.
• Show that you have leadership skills and qualities.

Things to avoid when hoping for a promotion at work

Here are 5 common mistakes employees make when asking for a promotion:

• Asking for a pay rise or a promotion simply because you have worked there a long time.
• Trying to ask for too much at once, such as a promotion, pay rise, benefits, company car etc.
• Neglecting long-term goals because you are so wrapped up in your promotion. Think long-term when it comes to career progression and your overall progress.
• Failing to collate the facts about the desired job responsibilities and not matching your skill set to them.
• It is the wrong place or time. Choose the appropriate time, place, and location to discuss your promotion. Schedule the meeting in advance with your boss and ensure all relevant parties have been informed and invited to the meeting.

Are you ready to take your career to the next level? Upskill to gain the necessary skills, knowledge, and certificates to progress your career with one of our training courses.

To get started or discuss your requirements in more detail, call our Course Consultants on +44 (0) 20 3198 7700 or fill out our contact form, and someone will be in touch with you to go through your training options.