Employees have spoken! These are the Best Places to Work in 2022. See the Winners!
Posted by Glassdoor Team
Career Advice Experts
Last Updated April 26, 2022
It’s a tale as old as time: your scope of work changes based on “shifting priorities,” giving you an exciting opportunity for growth and new projects, but not necessarily an updated title or pay increase. Or, a team member leaves, and you find yourself with an increased workload and new responsibilities. You’ve stepped up to the challenge, set and exceeded your goals, and now you’re ready for the next step. It’s time to ask for a promotion.
Technically, a promotion means to “raise” someone up to a higher level — a change in job title to one more advanced than their current one. But a promotion does not necessarily include a pay raise. While a raise might accompany a promotion, there are times it doesn’t; it can depend on your manager, your company, and more.
Consider what you want before you head down the path of asking for raises and/or promotions. Do you feel a higher-level role more accurately reflects your current job duties? Or do you simply want a pay raise, but are fine keeping your current title?
Generally speaking, when most people think about asking for a promotion, they are looking for both a raise in pay and an elevation in job title.
If you have had work heaped upon you and are frustrated, upset, and burned out at your job, getting a promotion likely won’t make you happier.
There are several justifiable reasons that you might deserve a promotion. Here are some top considerations:
Timing is key. If any of the considerations above apply to you, you’re in a good position to ask for more. But there’s more to consider than your work. You should also think about:
That said, standing out as a remote employee can be a bit more challenging than if you are an in-person worker. Out of sight can mean out of mind. Be prepared to describe ways you’ve built strong relationships even while working remotely, how to describe your self-discipline and communications skills, and your connection to and understanding of the daily workings of the business.
The first step is creating a situation in which your manager will likely say yes. This involves some prep on your part. Here’s how to create the business case for your promotion:
Rejection is hard for anyone to take, but you should prepare yourself just in case you hear “no.” No matter how uncomfortable you feel, keep your cool. How you handle yourself at this critical moment may be key to whether or not you will be granted a promotion in the future.
If you’re turned down for a promotion:
Go into the process with an open mind. It costs a company a lot when someone leaves and a new person has to be trained. You might be surprised at the mountains a manager will move to retain a valuable employee. Retention is a key focus area at many companies now, and people leaving can reflect poorly on the manager, so they are more likely to do what they can to make you happy.
Be prepared, be confident, and find the success that matters to you.