In the 7 Phases of Engagement, I proposed that each phase ties directly to the employee lifecycle and has the potential to impact the success of a company in terms of its ability to engage employees.
The Fifth Phase of engagement is Promotion/Advancement.
Most employees have goals that involve being promoted as a way to achieve higher pay, status, and/or advance in their career. Companies can help them achieve their goals through Promotion and Advancement opportunities.
Promotion
Let’s tackle Promotion first. Promotional opportunities come about in one of two ways. Most of the time, it is due to another employee leaving the company whether voluntarily or due to a termination. There are occasions when company growth or reorganization leads a company to identify new and/or additional roles to be filled.
Internal vs. External
Companies can promote from within or bring in an outside candidate. Internal promotions show that the company is “taking care” of its employees and can impact employee engagement positively. Hiring from the outside is sometimes necessary when the needed skills outweigh the familiarity with the internal workings of the company. To avoid having to source employees from the outside, companies should develop succession plans for all key employees and key roles within the company.
The Right Person for the Right Role
Whether a company promotes from within or hires from the outside, it is important that the right person be selected for the right role. Managers make the hiring decisions and those decisions are only as good as the manager making them. Managers that engage their direct reports will better understand what skills and experiences each person brings to the table. Through the performance management process, they should also have a good idea of each employee’s career goals. Knowing this information will help managers find the employee that best fits the open role.
The right person is especially important when promoting someone into a management role. Remember, managers have the single largest impact on employee engagement. A poor choice will not only puts the new manager in a situation in which he can’t succeed but it will also negatively impacts direct reports and co-workers.
Orientation
Most companies fail to properly orient employees in their new roles. For many employees, it is a “sink or swim” situation. Companies need to establish formal orientation programs to set expectations, address knowledge gaps, and to familiarize the new promote with new technology or procedures.
Continuous Learning
Companies often offer many learning opportunities through learning management systems, formal classes, offsite courses, conferences, etc. yet fail to communicate their availability effectively. Employees want to be successful in their new roles so provide them with the resources available to help them succeed.
Mentoring/Buddy Program
Mentoring and Buddy Programs can be effective ways to get a new promote up-to-speed. It is important that there is a go-to person or a small group of go-to people available to help guide the new promote when questions arise.
Selecting the right people for the right roles as well as providing orientation, continuous learning, and mentoring opportunities show employees that the company cares about them. This creates a sense of belonging and conveys that the company values their employees and can lead to better engaged employees.
Advancement
There are not always promotional opportunities available. Companies should continually develop their employees so that there will be a larger pool of potential candidates to consider.
Succession Planning
Succession planning is important in order to keep operations running smoothly. Companies should identify key people and key roles within the organization and develop contingency plans for when people leave the company or when key roles become available.
Learning Opportunities
Employees want the opportunity to learn and grow and often it is left up to the individual employee to figure out on their own. Managers should be actively involved to the development of their employees. (See Promotion – Continuous Learning section above.)
Feedback/Recognition
Employees crave feedback. They want to know of improvement opportunities so that they can progress in their career goals. If managers and coworkers aren’t providing feedback in a timely and consistent manner, then the company is at risk of not having people with the skills and experience needed to backfill key roles. The company is also at risk of losing the employee to a company that will help them meet their developmental goals.
Recognition is especially important as a way to provide feedback and reinforce behavior. Employees want their manager and the company to appreciate their contributions. This is an easy win-win opportunity. It can be as simple as saying, “Thank you!”
Advancement options provide employees with learning opportunities and the feedback/recognition needed to help them better prepare for promotional opportunities. Succession planning provides the company with a ready pool of potential candidates to promote when positions become available. Together, they can positively impact employee engagement by encouraging employee development and providing them with opportunities to learn and grown .
Conclusion
It is important for managers and companies to consider the needs of the company and its employees when it comes to promotions and advancement opportunities. Succession planning provides an opportunity to be proactive in developing replacements for key people and for filling key roles within the organization. By identifying the right people, orienting them to available resources, and providing timely and consistent feedback, companies can not only preserve business continuity but they can also improve employee engagement.
P.S. First time here? Welcome to the Agent In Engagement site. Thanks for taking the time to stop by! I hope you’ll explore the rest of the site. Let me know what employee engagement topics interest you.
Other recent Agent in Engagement articles by Gregory F Simpson:
- Employee Engagement Recap for Week of April 7 – 11, 2014
- Employee Engagement Quotes from March 31 – April 4, 2014
- Employee Engagement: The Fourth Phase of Engagement
- Onboarding: The Third Phase of Engagement
- Hiring Process: The Second Phase of Engagement
- Pre-hire: The First Phase of Engagement
- 7 Phases of Engagement
Let’s Get Engaged!
I’m Agent in Engagement Simpson…Gregory F Simpson.
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