Organisations need to get better at communicating what it takes to get promoted.
It’s not just a process—it’s an art.
It’s about showing employees a clear path forward, even when not every employee is ready or right for the next step. Too often, when a new employee joins an organisation, their manager is so busy training them for the job at hand that the conversation about the future gets pushed aside until the annual review—by which time, growth opportunities have already slipped away.
A manager’s role isn’t just to excel at work, it’s to hire and train their successor.
Why?
Because if a manager isn’t thinking about their replacement, they won’t get promoted if no one’s ready to step in the wings.
Employees shouldn’t feel stagnant. They need space to grow. Eventually, everyone starts thinking about their future, and HR should lead the charge by arming managers with frameworks that make these crucial conversations possible. Now, this doesn’t happen overnight. But HR must ensure managers have the tools to discuss current performance and future potential with their employees.
In this blog, we’ll explore the art of communicating what it takes to get promoted to employees, the importance of internal mobility, and how to set managers up for success.
It starts with being open and honest. Because you need to build trust, and that takes time.
Managers should openly and honestly share what it takes to get promoted with employees and let them decide for themselves. And if employees choose not to pursue a promotion, that’s okay. Employees should not be penalised or ostracised for not wanting a promotion. And organisations need to know what an employee is thinking so they can prepare for their future talent needs.
Offering career opportunities benefits both employees and employers. Employees want to know that they have a path to achieve their career goals. They want to know that the organisation is going to invest in their future.
But being honest starts with talking to employees about the future, and you don’t have to wait for the annual performance review.
It’s about holding regular one-on-one conversations to probe and find out if an employee even wants a promotion. To help with that, HR can arm managers with structured frameworks and ready-to-use templates.
These tools remove the guesswork and encourage a genuine dialogue about both current performance and future potential. With the right approach, you empower your team to understand exactly what it takes to advance, setting everyone up for success.
Once you’ve set the stage by establishing open, honest communication and equipping managers with the right tools, it’s time to break down exactly what they should be telling employees.
Let’s dive into the specifics—both the technical and the non-technical requirements that can make or break a promotion decision.
The technical requirements are specific to the job. An employee might need to demonstrate proficiencies in project management, decision-making or communication. Sometimes these proficiencies happen as part of doing the work. Or they might happen because the employee received training. Or maybe the employee was selected for a special assignment that helped them learn new skills.
The non-technical piece can be more difficult to explain, and it could be related to organisational culture. It can be described in terms of building relationships, working extra hours, volunteering for assignments.
And we know how important this is. Because we’ve all seen very technically qualified people turn down promotions because they weren’t on board with the non-technical requirements.
So once you’ve communicated to the employee about what’s important, you want to make sure the organisation is prepared to manage movement. Telling employees what it takes to get promoted and then supporting their decision is about building and maintaining that pipeline. And managing that pipeline is all about your internal mobility.
Having strong internal mobility will help you identify future candidates. It’s also a great way to help with employee engagement and retention because employees want to know that your organisation values them.
Which means it’s great for retention and employee engagement. The movement of employees within your organisation is called internal mobility. The typical types of movement are things like:
Each of these changes accomplishes a goal, so it’s important to keep internal mobility as part of your organisation's talent strategy. However cultivating a culture of internal mobility takes time and trust.
It takes time because HR needs to engage in things like job posting, succession planning and ultimately cultivate talent pools. Some of these activities are quick and easy, like job posting whereas some are more intensive like succession planning.
But what’s more difficult to develop is trust.
Employees need to trust these internal mobility processes will lead them somewhere, or they won’t use them. Employees who feel that the company’s internal processes are stacked against them will move up by leaving the organisation.
Telling employees what it takes to get promoted is a strategic initiative that builds a strong internal talent pipeline and fosters growth. By being open, honest, and proactive about career progression, managers can empower their teams, prevent stagnation, and drive long-term success.
Martian Logic has helped businesses refine their HR strategies for years with simple, scalable solutions that let teams thrive. Our intuitive HRIS not only streamlines recruitment and onboarding but also empowers you to manage internal mobility seamlessly. With robust tools for tracking performance, conducting structured reference checks, and facilitating transparent communication, you can ensure your talent pipeline stays full and your employees know exactly what it takes to advance. Contact us today and discover how Martian Logic can boost engagement, retention and manage internal mobility.