That’s it ! It is in 2024 that you would like to land this coveted new position within the company where you work. But are you ready? How to proceed ? How to get a promotion? Here are tips and advice from three experts.
In a context of personnel shortages and in a market where there are more people retiring than people entering the job market, it is a safe bet that the new year will bring its share of opportunities of employment.
This is what Joëlle Carpentier, professor of organization and human resources at UQAM, mentions from the outset. “Those who retire often have a lot of seniority and occupy positions at the top of the ladder,” she says.
In return, companies have more and more flattened structures with fewer levels… therefore fewer places to move up the hierarchy.
Expectations and needs
According to Jeannette Boulanger, partner and human resources advisor at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton, you need to know how to determine the reasons why you want a promotion. “Is it for the challenge, to learn new skills, like management skills, is it for better financial conditions? », she lists.
If we choose professional advancement for less “good” reasons, believes Mme Carpentier, the change will be less positive in the long term. In other words, the employee could find himself unhappy, in a position with more responsibilities. “Reasons such as challenge, learning new knowledge, personal development, impact and influence, or being around people who make us grow are generally better reasons,” says- She.
Positivism and confidence
The second step in the game plan for landing a promotion is to talk about it. “As an employee, you have to know how to communicate what you want to accomplish,” emphasizes Isabelle Alain, director of executive search, Canada, at the firm Robert Half. “We can talk about how we contributed to the company, how we had a positive impact. You have to know how to talk about it positively and with confidence. »
It takes a touch of humility, a dose of courage and strategy, say the three human resources specialists. “I think you have to know yourself well and be able to sell yourself,” notes Mme Carpenter. It is an art to have an accurate vision of oneself and to be able to communicate it clearly. »
In this sense, she suggests a free online test developed by psychology researchers, reliable and valid: the signature strengths test. It allows, she says, to determine one’s greatest strengths – and areas for improvement.
Challenges and support
Introspection allows us to understand what needs to be improved or acquired to land a new position: Jeannette Boulanger calls this the “points of vigilance”.
“If we have to develop skills to obtain a promotion, we must be able to experience challenges that will allow us to improve,” she explains. For example, it could be better stress management, being more agile or more creative, or even being better organized, learning to manage staff. »
If the employee’s responsibility is to express interest and be willing, the employer’s responsibility is to support the employee who wishes to move up the ladder.
This can involve mentoring, weekly meetings between the manager and the employee, training, support, development courses, cites M as an example.me Baker.
The manager can also reach out to an employee. “He can ask: ‘What skills do you want to develop and what are your ideas for getting there?’ », comments Isabelle Alain.
What if, despite all his good will, the position passes under the employee’s nose and the promotion is delayed? You can discuss it with authenticity and transparency with your employer – or look elsewhere, if nothing changes.
“When it’s denied, I think it’s important to view it as an experience and focus on the things that we have control over, like what we learned in the process, and what it gives us remains to be improved,” concludes Professor Joëlle Carpentier.
90% of employers are concerned about hiring qualified talent.
90% have difficulty retaining their employees.
64% of managers consider the hiring process to be slower.
Source: Robert Half survey of 768 professionals and 1,094 employers across the country, December 2023