How Most Companies Decide Who To Promote

Getting a promotion takes a lot of hard work and an equal part of sucking up to the boss. Even though we would all like to think that favoritism doesn't factor into things like who gets promoted, the truth is that more often than not, the boss already knows who they want to promote before a position is even open.



Don't believe me? Take a look at this infographic showing how most companies decide who to promote:



As you can see, in the survey, 74 percent of executives say that promotions are based on performance reviews. However, a little over half of the respondents only considered less than four people for the job. This clearly shows that although they might base the decision on employee reviews, their pool of possible employees is extremely small.



Further down, you'll see that a whopping 56 percent of executives already knew who the wanted to promote before they even looked at the candidates. When a hiring manger already wants to hire someone, the other applicants are just there to make it appear to be more fair, as shown by the figure that 96 percent of the time, they go on to hire their preferred candidate. The executives also said that in 78 percent of cases, making the decision was very easy or somewhat easy.



What's even more disturbing is the answers to the questions about favoritism. Although few are willing to admit to showing favoritism themselves, the overwhelming majority acknowledge that it happens and even that it happens at their company.



Looking at this research from Georgetown University, it's clear that working hard for a promotion isn't enough. You've got to play the game and make sure that your boss, and even your boss's boss, knows who you are and sees you as someone valuable.



Have you seen favoritism in your workplace? Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.