Part 1: To Promote, or Not To Promote...
 A
friend of mine always used to say "When you don't know what to do, just do the RIGHT THING." Though good advice, I have found on more than one occasion it is more easily said than done. Just for example, what is the "RIGHT THING" to do when the opportunity presents itself to promote an existing employee in lieu of hiring from outside your workforce?
I'd like to tell you it's always best to do "x" or, "y" but your decision in this regard represents a bit of a moving target. The secret may well lie in the consistency of the manner in which you manage these opportunities. Let's consider some of the pitfalls you need to avoid:
Tenure: Longevity may be worth considering right up there with loyalty, but the two don't necessarily guarantee you're putting the right person in the right seat on the bus. Don't let your organization suffer the pains that are associated with the "Peter Principle." Continuing to promote employees based on tenure, until they reach a position in which they are adequate, at best, can result in an organization looking forward to a future of mediocrity.
A-Players: One of the more common mistakes is managing your promotion process based on the assumption that the A-Player of the department is the obvious replacement for their supervisor. Technical knowledge may be secondary to the "people skills" that may be required for the position. In cases where the employee may be asked to make a move from an hourly to a salary position, there can be other adjustments in areas of privilege and position that even your best employees may find difficult.
Posting: If you do an internal posting of the position, be sure to include detailed information on the skills sets required for the job and emphasize that information substantiating the individuals qualifications will be required from all applicants. When put to the task of this process, unqualified internal applicants may think better of applying for a job for which they are under qualified.
Interviews: Perform your interviews professionally and emphasize you will be hiring / recommending the individual that you feel is best suited for the position. Employing a more social or personal approach, when interviewing internal applicants, may result in a business decision being interpreted to have unintended personal undertones.
Management Support: Ensure the other members of your leadership team are fully aware and capable of verbalizing the company's position on promoting from within. With their help, you can address misconceptions and ill-intended rumors quickly to reduce the potential damage to company morale.
Follow-up: Treat your in-house applicants the same as your outside applicants. When your decision is made, let those applicants who were not chosen know that the process is completed and their interest was appreciated. Encourage them to explore other opportunities that may arise within the company.
There are also several pros and cons to consider when determining if an internal or external applicant represents the best option for the company. We'll address that topic in greater depth in our December issue of "HR Pieces".
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