Business

4 Skills Managers Look For In Employees When Promoting

Paul Sinek | Updated On March 9, 2022

Eyeing a promotion and a raise? Promotion is not based on the number of years you have served in a company but more on the value you add to the company. The kind of work you have been delivering is a major deciding factor when managers think about who to promote. 

Additionally, trying to play office politics may help you survive in the workplace but may not get you a promotion. You need to stand out from your peers to be seen as deserving of a promotion and a raise. So how do you distinguish yourself from many others trying to get promoted?

The easiest answer is – Develop your skillset. Managers always look for the kind of skills an employee possesses and how willing they are to enhance their knowledge. This is why they offer learning & development opportunities also so their employees have a chance to better their performance.

Also read: Time Tracking for Employees

With the easy availability of affordable online learning platforms, managers are trying to fulfill all employee learning needs and you must take advantage of that. For instance, the Bridge LMS pricing model starting at just $1 makes it possible for even small businesses to provide training to employees.

Apart from this, here are 4 top skills every manager looks for in an employee to deem them appropriate for a promotion:

Ready to Take Responsibility & Accountability:

A top skill that is important for an employee eligible to get into a higher position in any company is the willingness to take responsibility. If an employee cannot be trusted to fulfill their responsibilities, managers are less likely to rely on them for important work.

At the same time, they need to be able to take accountability for their mistakes and be willing to correct them. This shows that you are not afraid of trying new things and learning from your mistakes which is highly desirable.

Excellent at Collaborating:

Working as a team in the workplace is very crucial to ensure good and timely outcomes. If an employee is not able to gel well with others and collaborate, they can cause inconsistencies in the workflow and delay work.

Being a team player and helping your peers should be your top skill. This will allow you to be seen as reliable and helpful by the manager. You must know how to work with others to be able to secure a promotion. 

Conveys Ideas Clearly:

People with poor communication skills have the least chances of a promotion. This is because they are not able to convey their ideas in the best possible way which leads to confusion. You must know when to talk and what to talk about.

Make sure you are always polite and willing to listen to others as much as trying to convey something to them. Managers appreciate employees that can delegate work when necessary so for this, good communication skills are a must.

Flexible: 

Any employee wanting to secure a promotion must always try to take on more work that is outside their profile. Cross-functional experience can get you places within the company that you never even imagined.

Make sure you are flexible and willing to take on new things. If you can adapt to all kinds of situations, you will become a major asset for the manager and they will want to hold on to you for as long as possible.  

Conclusion:

Employees who are self-sufficient and know how to motivate themselves to perform to the best of their abilities will be considered more valuable than others. In addition, qualities like good people skills, flexibility, and being a responsible member of the team are taken into account when deciding who gets promoted.

You may also prefer reading: How to Up Your Game at Work?