As April arrives, one topic is set to dominate office conversations everywhere - the status of appraisals and promotions. While usually seen as a foregone conclusion, it is important that employees clearly communicate their intentions and expectations to their managers to ensure an optimal appraisal experience. This, however, is no small feat, getting that much-desired promotion will need you to express expectations at the right time, engage the right stakeholders and demonstrate consistent results. It is imperative, therefore, that the employees set aside quality time for this process.
Before employees even begin this process, it is crucial that they are aware of the evaluator framework. Internalising the skills and competencies that are valued by the organisation helps employees understand how the company wishes to structure careers at the firm while also making individual development plans clear. Using this information, employees can then structure their plan of action and present the best possible argument to their evaluators.
Here are four quick guidelines on how that coveted promotion can be secured as part of the plan to move up the ladder:
Setting aspirations and expectations
In many situations, there is a distinct gap in communication between employees and their managers regarding their expectations of career growth and aspirations. One of the major deterrents is a distinct fear of rejection that employees face when it comes to having a conversation with managers regarding their promotion status. To effectively tackle this, employees and managers must operate with a clear understanding of the trajectory to be followed over the course of the year, which can be documented and monitored on a technology platform for transparency and healthy nudges to both.
Plan today for a promotion tomorrow
Once employees have defined their expectations, a concise plan is required to make sure these efforts towards realising the expectations are tracked and measured, thereby strengthening their profile during the appraisal process. The creation of such a plan is mutually beneficial to the employee and the organisation: Giving the employee a structured approach to track their own performance and allowing organisations to use the insights from this plan to structure the appraisal process for future employees. Make development plans to reach the optimal readiness level for the new role through learning activities linked to specific competencies, goals, and objectives of the organisation.
Tracking achievements and highlighting efforts
Given that appraisal processes are a long-drawn affair, many employees are evaluated on recent short-term efforts rather than the work they have done over the years. Create a system or a method of tracking achievements as and when they are obtained. Such a record becomes invaluable during the appraisal process and increases the chances of obtaining a promotion. Technology can help automate this through the creation of a personalised dashboard that collects information from across the board and maintain a digital record of the employee’s activities & achievements.
Maintaining a continuous communication channel
While digital records provide managers with a means of validating past performance, a consistent conversation between employees and managers has been proven to be the most effective means of evaluating prowess. This practice, combined with the real-time feedback from other stakeholders in the organisation will always keep the manager aware of the employee’s capabilities and ensures that the employee is an ever-present candidate for an upgraded position both during and post the appraisal cycle. The feedback when shared on a regular basis not just boosts the case for his/her promotion but also helps them improve on areas that need attention.
Seeking a promotion can stop being a stressful task with the help of a clear plan and consistent progress. These steps help increase an employee’s probability of moving up the hierarchy and position themselves as the best possible candidate for the positions they have set as their goals. The focus should be on making the expectations clear, right from the beginning and following process of record that will ultimately make the decision a no-brainer for the employer.
Views are personal.
The author is co-founder and head of product, Darwinbox.
