How You Promote People Can Make or Break Company Culture

A survey of over 400,000 U.S. workers found that when people believe promotions are managed effectively, they’re more than twice as likely to give extra effort at work and to plan a long-term future with their company. They are also five times as likely to believe leaders act with integrity. However, if promotions aren’t managed well, one person’s success can foster feelings of resentment in others, and the career aspirations of employees across the company can be left unrealized. To improve how your team feels about promotions, make sure you have conversations with people about their aspirations before a new role even opens up. And when there is a promotion opportunity available, encourage people to apply — don’t wait for them to put up their hand. Finally, once a decision has been made, be transparent about why the person who got it deserved it.