Odds are, not so much. The research and literature on promotion procedures are woefully lacking, which is a disappointing but accurate reflection of how most organisations approach this process. In theory, this absence of rigour makes sense: you need assessments when you are hiring new employees because you don\u2019t have any past performance data, but when it comes time for promotions, you\u2019ve already seen what that person is capable of. As long as you have objective criteria for the new role, and someone in mind who seems like a great fit, you should be fine \u2013 right? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wrong. This all works in theory, but in reality, the promotional process desperately needs all the same rigour and attention to detail that you give your selection process. Here\u2019s why: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- A new role fit shouldn\u2019t be based on an old role\u2019s performance. One of the most common promotional mistakes is when a star employee gets selected to lead a team purely based on the traits that made them a great individual contributor. Frequently, the role that you\u2019re promoting someone into is fairly different from the role they were in, especially at a leadership level. You may have extensive performance data on that employee\u2019s attention to detail or work ethic, but have you ever had the chance to observe them in a coaching setting or working across teams? If the new role has several key aspects that you have no data on, you\u2019re basically going in blind. An assessment or work sample can be an incredibly informative indication of how the promoted employee will handle the new responsibilities. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
- You\u2019re probably going to be biased, either positively or negatively. There are many reasons why you should stay off social media when you\u2019re recruiting new employees, but one of the main reasons is that you don\u2019t want to introduce any non-job-related information into your recruiting decision. This becomes nearly impossible when dealing with promotions, though, and you\u2019re much more likely to \u201cgo with your gut\u201d in these situations. In some cases this may prejudice you against the candidate (maybe they aren\u2019t very friendly to you, or you saw them fall asleep in a team meeting once), and at other times it may unfairly endear them to you (they always bring in doughnuts on Fridays, or their child goes to the same school as yours). Either way, this information is not relevant to the job in question and is therefore introducing error into your promotion decision. By using an assessment to get a baseline on the strengths and gaps of each candidate, you can be sure that you\u2019re comparing them against a common standard and being fair in your evaluation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
\n\nYou should be proud of your robust selection system, but you should be equally attentive to your promotion process. Your employees deserve it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"http:\/\/talogy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/cta-ebook-cover-nine-assessment-types.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nFinding the right fit: nine assessment types<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Assessments are among the most powerful tools available to HR professionals to make better hires, identify development needs, and quantify leadership potential.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The attributes of each assessment are intended to measure and align that information with your hiring and development goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This eBook will detail: \u00a0 <\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Goals \u2013 what is each assessment intended to measure?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Advantages and disadvantages \u2013 what are the strengths and weaknesses of each type?<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Use cases \u2013 what are the job roles or job traits that apply to each assessment type?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n