As a manager, you can’t always promote someone just because they ask—even if they’re a top performer. How can you engage and retain talent when you’re unable to offer them immediate career advancement? Here are some interim strategies to help meet these employees’ underlying needs. First, let them know that there’s nothing wrong with asking for a promotion. Then offer your sincere feedback. What skills or experience do they need to acquire to be qualified for a promotion? How can they address and remedy these gaps? Share your thoughts candidly and make some suggestions. Next, ask them what’s behind their desire for advancement: Are they hungry for more status and responsibility, an opportunity to manage people, or just a bigger paycheck? By better understanding what’s driving their ambition, you can come up with a tailored solution that can help relieve some of their anxieties in the short term (for example, new stretch assignments, the chance to manage an intern, or a raise). This approach will position you as an active partner to your employee, rather than a gatekeeper to their success.
This tip is adapted from “How to Motivate a Top Performer—When You Can’t Promote Them,” by Carrie Ott-Holland and Mengyang Cao
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