
(Photo: iStock.com/onurdongel)
Promoting employees to management roles often is seen as a reward for their great performance. However, thinking that the best employee will automatically become a good leader is a common mistake.
Sometimes, promotions to management roles happen for reasons other than merit. Two common reasons are favoritism, where personal biases or relationships affect promotion decisions; and urgency, where companies make quick decisions to hire without properly evaluating candidates.
Lots of loyalty, little training
For example, “Dave” is a loyal employee. He is promoted to manager even though he has no management qualifications and didn’t even want the position. Dave is worried he cannot say no to the boss, and he likes the idea of a pay raise, so he takes the plunge.
The next mistake, after giving Dave the promotion, is assuming he knows what to do in his new role. No job expectations, training or coaching opportunities are provided. Dave is just expected to know what to do and meet expectations.
More damage than help
The consequences of promoting underqualified candidates are significant. They include:
- Promoting an employee beyond their capability can lead to losing them altogether, as they may struggle and eventually leave. This results in the loss of a great employee.
- Top-performing employees may become frustrated and disengaged if they feel promotions are unfair, leading to further attrition.
- Unqualified managers can demoralize their teams, causing decreased performance and higher turnover rates.
- Employees may lose trust in leadership decisions, which can hurt the organization’s culture and morale.
- Poor management can negatively affect customer satisfaction because of lower work quality.
Research shows ineffective leadership is a top reason why employees leave companies and why companies fail to meet their goals.
Furthermore, unprepared managers can become overwhelmed and develop bad habits without proper coaching, which hinders their professional growth. The costs of promoting the wrong people are substantial, and they impact everyone involved.
It’s time to help Dave and others like him. By implementing the three strategies outlined in “The game plan” at right, you can avoid the pitfalls of promoting underqualified candidates and ensure your leaders are well-prepared to manage teams effectively. Investing in the right people not only boosts performance and morale — it also helps your organization achieve its long-term goals.
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