Rising stars: what to look out for when promoting staff

When it comes to filling the senior ranks of your business, the benefits of pulling individuals from your internal talent pool really shouldn’t be ignored.

As well as saving time and money on the recruitment process, you already have an in-depth knowledge of the people that you might be considering for the role that you certainly wouldn’t get if you were bringing them in from another organisation.

However, there are a few more things that you’ll need to consider alongside their work history. Read on to discover a few other areas that you’ll want to explore before deciding which of your rising stars to bump up the corporate ladder.

The Team Player or Problem Solver?

Sharing credit for a job well done, supporting others and the ability to give recognition to colleagues are a few of the traits that you’ll want to see in someone that you are looking to promote. Steer clear of any staff members that don’t showcase these characteristics, especially if you’ll be expecting them to manage other employees.

Those that don’t work well with others seldom have the respect of their teams, so if the role requires man management, choose your strongest team player who can provide you with the soft skills needed to get the best out of their team.

However, if this is a stand-alone role that needs someone with the drive to succeed and a creative streak for solving problems, you’ll need to look to those that show logic and reason amongst their strengths.

What’s their motivation?

All of us have dreams and aspirations when it comes to our careers. To be successful, you’ll need to promote someone who’s goals work in synergy with your organisation’s objectives.

If you want to break into new markets, choose someone that’s driven enough to make a big difference to your business and has big expectations for their own careers. This determination is essential if you’ll be tasking your newly promoted team member with an important project once they’ve settled in.

New insights

If new energy and fresh thinking is required to keep those business wheels turning, take a closer look at staff with cross-functional experience. They will often have fresh viewpoints on how to revolutionise processes and procedures that might not have been considered before.

Remember, boards work better with a mix of different skills, experiences and opinions, so make sure that whoever you select for promotion is open to sharing ideas on how to make your business better and is happy to call on their previous experiences in other areas to help you reach your goals.