Yahoo Finance 
How to ask for a promotion at work without making a fool of yourself (March 2024)
Here are some ways to approach a job promotion, a potentially sensitive subject, with your manager or employer.
SINGAPORE — Getting promoted at work is not always a straightforward path.
Traditionally, promotions are in the purview of and are initiated by a company's higher management. However, employees who are not willing to sit around and wait for the higher-ups to initiate the subject ask for a promotion themselves.
Approaching the subject with confidence and tact can be tricky. This can be due to several factors, such as a cultural aversion to being too straightforward or a lack of individual confidence, that may deter worthy employees from broaching the subject with their bosses. Employees may also feel compelled to learn how to "read the room" when asking for a promotion, a soft skill that not everyone has.
How, then, should an employee seeking a promotion approach the subject with their bosses? Is there an appropriate time to ask? Yahoo Finance Singapore spoke with experts on the matter.
How long should you wait to ask for a promotion?
When it comes to asking for a promotion at work, there is no norm or standard amount of time before it's considered appropriate for an employee to raise the subject. Instead, an acceptable length of time to wait before asking for a promotion can be determined by macroeconomic factors such as a company's hiring strategy and, at the individual level, how recent a previous promotion was.
"It really depends on the company and your role, but you do need to prove you have the skills and potential to be able to handle a bigger role. That will naturally take some time," said Roberta Balagopal, a senior consultant at career coaching consultancy Gary and Pearl International.
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Timing the discussion is a factor that should be considered. "If a company is already very lean and constrained by market factors, there may not be any position to be promoted to unless you make one for yourself. You need to be able to see a place for you to go to and sell that idea to your boss. On the other hand, if your company is expanding and looking around for people to take the lead in certain areas, you can take advantage of that," said Balagopal.
What to do if you're afraid to ask for a promotion
For some workers, directly asking for a promotion from management can be an intimidating venture. Workers may not want to be seen as "humble braggers" or may lack the self confidence or belief in their work performance.
"Lack of confidence in bringing up the question of a promotion is an issue we deal with a lot as career counsellors. Unfortunately the solution isn't simple. In our work, we spend a lot of time getting to know the person, their likes and dislikes, what draws them and what they shy away from, as well as their blindsides. After unpacking all that, we can then give some strategies for building confidence and possible approaches that may work in their situation. It's very much an individual journey," said Balagopal.
In the case of 34-year-old digital manager Lee Wan Theng, it took her some time before she mustered the courage to raise the topic of promotion with her manager. Conversations with friends and colleagues had let her to realise that she was being undervalued as she was contributing beyond her role and compensation.
"I found myself in high-level meetings as the only junior among senior executives and even handling tasks that typically belonged to my superiors, including attending meetings that you'd expect a CEO or managing director to be at. I was also tackling a wide array of tasks outside my usual job scope, which I embraced as opportunities to learn.
"However, the workload became overwhelming, leading to burnout and affecting my health and well-being. After looking into what my role and contributions could fetch in the market, it became clear I was being undervalued. That was the push I needed to schedule a talk with my line manager," said Lee.
Lack of confidence in bringing up the question of a promotion is an issue we deal with a lot as career counsellors. Unfortunately the solution isn't simple.Roberta Balagopal, career coach
"I laid out my achievements, the additional responsibilities I had taken on, and how I had gone above and beyond my role. It was about showing the value I added to the company, not just fulfilling my duties," said Lee, who received her promotion in 2021.
Lee also advised all who felt they deserve a promotion to speak up for themselves, but with humility rather than entitlement.
"In a team of outstanding performers, not everyone can be promoted at once, so standing out is key... initiating the conversation is important as it allows you to receive valuable feedback and plan your future steps," she said.
Does promotion mean more responsibility?
Very often, a promotion would entail more responsibilities. This is enough reason for some workers to avoid wanting a promotion. Such workers, according to Balagopal, could potentially be hurting their own career prospects. Nevertheless, she had some advice for those who tend to avoid being seen as a prime candidate for promotion.
"One possible way to dodge promotion without damaging your career is to make yourself a specialist – so good at doing what you do that your boss would be reluctant to move you. This, however, comes at a cost. It traps you and your employer into thinking that is all you can do, which has its own risks down the road. I'd recommend a middle ground, try to negotiate the scope of the new role into something you feel comfortable with, one that will play to your strengths," said Balagopal.
Instead of lurking on LinkedIn like 95 to 97 per cent of LinkedIn users, I urge them to write about their successes. They earned it, and they should feel confident about sharing it with their industry peers and LinkedIn followers.Juliana Chan, LinkedIn coach
Balagopal also clarified that promotions are not rewards for past performance, as that is what performance bonuses are for. Instead, promotions are a promise of more responsibilities, hence the importance of demonstrating readiness to take on more tasks.
"It could be managing a bigger team, or taking responsibility for a larger market, or forming a new unit or department. So, don't put yourself in the running for a promotion unless you truly want this, or you may find yourself unhappy and burning out," said Balagopal.
Should you update your LinkedIn after a promotion?
LinkedIn is a thriving platform for connecting jobseekers and employers. However, while it has become the de facto online resume platform for working professionals, most users tend to take a passive rather than active role in managing their profiles and individual brands on the platform, according to professional LinkedIn coach Juliana Chan.
Chan, who is also the chief executive officer of the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics)-focused media communications company Wildtype Media Group, said that there could be a variety of reasons why an individual would hesitate to update their LinkedIn profile after a promotion, including the fear of being labelled as a "humble bragger". They could also be unaware of the visibility that the platform provides to potential employers.
"As a LinkedIn coach, I remind my clients that LinkedIn is the perfect forum to share our work updates and professional achievements. Instead of lurking on LinkedIn like 95 to 97 per cent of LinkedIn users, I urge them to write about their successes. They earned it, and they should feel confident about sharing it with their industry peers and LinkedIn followers," said Chan.
Chan also gave a useful LinkedIn tip for all employees: "Be inclusive in the way we communicate our work updates on LinkedIn. Instead of making it all about ourselves, we can also thank our long-time mentors, our direct supervisor at work who recommended the promotion, our sponsor at work who vouched for our performance, and our colleagues and direct reports, if any, who contributed to our promotion".
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