Just because you haven’t done it, doesn’t mean you can’t.

In today’s quick-win society, it is no longer always reasonable to expect a promotion simply due to length of service. With the average duration of employment significantly shorter than it was even just 10 years ago, it is now commonplace to see highly skilled and motivated individuals quickly rise through the ranks, regardless of their tenure.

In the main, promotions are still very much seen as a direct result of previous experience or achievements and are a way to motivate and engage employees outside of remuneration.

But being a high-achiever and getting promoted doesn’t automatically set you up for future success. Think of top salespeople who move into management: many do continue their streak of success, but some struggle to adjust to the new set of skills needed.

The current global crisis has already proven professionally fatal for millions of people across the world. The list of giant household names making redundancies is increasing daily as budget cuts plague even the most successful of brands.

For most, if not all businesses, working out how to maintain a skilled workforce on a much tighter budget than before is almost certainly going to become one of the greatest challenges of the immediate future.

Promoted Beyond Competency

‘The Peter Principle’ is a concept crafted by Canadian educator and hierarchiologist, Laurence J. Peter and is worth considering when discussing the future of leadership teams after the financial impact of Covid-19. Peter claims that each and every member of a hierarchy is promoted until they reach their optimum level of competency. In turn, this results in many leadership teams actually housing managers or executives who are not qualified to do the jobs they are employed to do.

Whilst this could be viewed as nothing short of a disaster, the potential correlation between the concept and how employers may choose to change their hiring strategy post-pandemic, can lead us to some quite interesting observations.

1.    Internal promotions may focus more on future potential, rather than previous experience. With each promotion comes a new set of skills required to perform the job to the optimum level of success. For a great influencer who has often been passed up for promotion in favour of peers with technical skill, a promotion into a leadership role could give them a much-needed opportunity to show where they can add the most value.

2.    Training focus may shift from technical to soft skills. Technical excellence has historically led to promotion in STEM industries, but those with undeniable hands-on ability do not always make the best leaders. By focusing on upskilling in areas not necessarily associated with technically minded professionals, companies will be able to offer the necessary skills required for the next stage in a top performer’s career.

3.    External hiring may offer opportunities to those ready to take a leap. Whilst internal promotion brings with it highly desirable recognition, an external move can open doors for those who are able to successfully articulate how good they are – not just for the role being recruited, but for the next steps up the ladder, too.

With restructures pending and attitudes changing, there has never been a better time to talk to us about what you can do in the future, as opposed to what you have simply been allowed to do in the past.