"THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY"

America is a land of opportunity, and in the business world, many employees take a job with the hope that it will lead to an even better job within the Company. Yet, the data we collected from forty years of Employee Opinion Surveys indicates that employees consistently give negative ratings to the question, “Do you have a good opportunity to move up in the Company to a higher rated job?”

What percentage of employees surveyed believed they had a good opportunity for a promotion? Do you think it is . . .

a. 34%
b. 44%
c. 54%
d. 64%

Choose one on the poll to the right and click the link below to check your answer.

A 44% favorable rating is the correct answer. There are several reasons for this poor rating that may be beyond management’s control. For instance, the Company may not be growing, the workforce is stable, and therefore, no job openings. Another reason is that many of its employees are satisfied in their current position and are not seeking greater responsibility. Furthermore, the one person who receives the promotion will typically be satisfied with the process while those who are rejected may voice their displeasure.

However, our analysis of these results causes us to find that the low favorable rating often relates to how promotional opportunities are communicated and/or the process used for selection. That is, there is still reluctance by some companies to communicate job openings. They believe that letting employees know about opportunities creates more problems than the benefits it provides. We disagree with that philosophy and find that companies who are more transparent about job openings get better candidates. The more challenging part of the promotion process is in selecting the right person for the job. However, the establishment of clearly-defined job expectations, conducting multiple interviews or establishing interview panels that may include employees, and utilizing validated tests, all help identify the most qualified person for the job. In addition, utilizing these multiple methods for selection will increases the credibility of the process.

What can you do to help your high performers realize that there are good opportunities within your organization?

"The Survey Says" is written by Richard Reinhardt, Vice President of F&H Solutions Group. You may contact Richard by email at rreinhardt@fhsolutionsgroup.com or by phone at 901.291.1546.