JMelanya

Subject - Promotion Issues At Work

Hi All.
My name is Melanya. I’m not a HR personnel by profession. However, I would like to share to
you all something which my company has been “practicing” on promotion. So, I’d like to have
your comments pertaining to this.
Each year, promotions are done, I would say widely. The worse thing is that you’ll be able to see
nearly the same staff being promoted on a yearly basis – if not yearly, every 2 years.
Promotions are quite rapid especially on the Manager level below. I learnt that there are some
who would ask for a promotion from their immediate superior. Whether really deserving or
not, these immediate superiors will fight like hell for their staff to be promoted. Some will even
go straight to the upper management for immediate approval/endorsement.
My question is that:
1) What is really the best way to curb the above practice? 
2) Is it best to have a policy where each staff is to remain in their current position/grade for at
least 3 years before any due for promotion?
3) Can we also impose promotions to be exercised only after a minimum 1 year in service with
the company?
Thanks.
 Mell
JMelanya
Subject - Re: Promotion Issues At Work
I guess there are no longer HR Seniors around for an advise......
K C S Kutty
Subject - Re: Promotion Issues At Work
Dear Mell,

Every organisation must have a HR Policy. Promoion policy is a part of the HR

Policy.
I think in your organisation, there is no such promotion policy. 

I dont think in your organisation, every year, as a ritual, promotions are offered to
someone near and dear to the men who matters. 

Promotion is given with higher responsibility, higher accountability and

correspondinlgy higher financial and other benefits, to fill the HR requirements. 

All cannot be given promotion in any organisation since there is not much avenues
in the top. 

Promotion policy as suggested by you can prescribe a minimum qualifying service

of three years or so in the present cadre / position before giving promotion. 
Even one year service in the organsiation can be implemented. 

To curb the problems, promotions can be made with a mix of seniority and merit.
Merit should be based on performance in the present post and potential (ability to
perform) in the promoted post and not based on the recommendations of the
superiors. 

parthasarthi
Subject - Re: Promotion Issues At Work
First of all one must understand that promotion is not right of employee. promotion
is reward to employee's capabilities and performance. Government organizations
promotions are due on seniority basis where as private companies they adopt
performance basis.

Every promotion does not yeild monetory results there are dry promotions without
monetory gain to employees is also to be seen as one possibility as policy to
encourage employee morale and motivating tool.

To avoid disputed promotion practices companies must adopt policy stand. For
employees performing good there is good annual increment system should be in
place with different grades and percentage of increment based on performance
level grades to avoid injustice.

Then, promotion should be takenup as seperate independent issue based on

qualifications as well as experience required to become promoted to senior position
which should be benchmarked with market practices. You cannot promote junior
with 2 to 3 years experience to Manager level or Dy manager level because this
may happen in some small size companies.

I hope this is enough.

partha
Shikha_Singh
Subject - Re: Promotion Issues At Work
The best promotion policy I have seen in an MNC was as follows. Im just putting
down the main points here

1)Any employee is eligible for applying for promotion right after joining the
company.
2)Employee has to speak to his immediate supervisor and HR about the same.
3)Supervisor will then come up with a set of additional responsibilities and give it to
the employee. They are kind of KRAs.
4)For the next six months, the employee has to work on those KRAs / additional
responsibilities
5)At the end of the 6 month period, the employee is evaluated objectively.
6) If hes been able to fulfill all KRAs well, he is granted promotion. If not, then hes
asked to prepare again. He cannot apply for the next 6 months (so that he prepares
well)

At all times, HR is involved in the process, so that there is no bias.

gachunia
Subject - Re: Promotion Issues At Work
you can implement a data mining system to search for patterns i.e. of how well or
worse your job performance is if its on the upside then a promotion otherwise aa
demotion sounds fun huh! by the way im also not a HR personnel by profession