How do you tell your boss you deserve a promotion?
1) Identify the position you want:
Many people want to advance in the company and get a big promotion, but they find that there's nowhere for them to go because of the corporate structure. If there is a specific job opening, then this part is easy, because you can apply for it. However, if there is not, determine a need for a position where you can improve the day-to-day business operations of the company by being effective in that new role.
· Once you've found the position -- or created a new position -- you'll need to find examples to prove that you're the perfect person for the job. If you want to be a team leader, show your boss how well you've done when leading smaller projects.
2) Do some research:
If the promotion you’re looking for is into an existing role that’s about to become available, you could benefit from talking with the person currently in the role. Get some intel about the responsibilities of the position as well as the things they liked and didn’t like. Do some digging to make sure it’s a position you actually want.
Then see if the current employee would be willing to recommend you for the role. Since outgoing employees know their position the best, supervisors often include them in the hiring process for their replacement. An informed recommendation could carry a lot of weight.
3) Set up a meeting with your boss and ask directly:
Of course, the most straightforward way to ask for a promotion is simply to ask. If you work in a very formal, hierarchical organization, you may decide to put together a formal presentation highlighting your past successes and the reasons your promotion would benefit the company.
A PowerPoint pitch deck could be overkill in some organizations, but even if you’re not putting together a formal presentation, you’ll want to be prepared with the same information — not just why you deserve a promotion but why your promotion is the best thing for the organization.
4) Explain how your vision at work ties into your personal mission:
Above and beyond statistics, metrics and compensation data, it’s also important to step back and look at how this promotion—with its expanded role and contribution—will be fueled by your passion, purpose and commitment to the organization’s success.
Talk about how this role aligns with what you care about most, and how it will help you achieve not only the top business goals but your personal goals as well, for making a positive difference and leading in the way you dream to.
