Many factors play a part in achieving professional success within a company, and I would venture to say that some of them may even be beyond our control. The fact is that when cuts come to a company, some workers tend to get more nervous than the rest, while others get a pay rise or move up the organisation chart.
Then there is an in-between kind of worker, who may even be good at their job but still watches others move up while they stay in the same place. This person is probably making some of the mistakes we are about to look at.
First of all, we already looked at some of the factors that may be somewhat beyond our control when we discussed the 50-30-20 rule. You can do the best work in the world, but if the person responsible for recognising it doesn’t know you, it’s as if you had done nothing. In that article we explained that social skills account for 50% of success in your career, compared with only 20% for hard work.
We also saw how your physical appearance can make more of an impression than your talent and skills.
Even if you are doing an excellent job, these mistakes in certain actions and decisions could stand in the way of that promotion or pay rise.
1. You put in the time and effort, but the results…
There is a big difference between going to work and doing a good job. Many employees go to work every day and do their job, but don’t add much more value to the company. Large companies are increasingly measuring not so much the time and effort put in as the measurable results the company gets. So improving your professional skills and becoming an intrapreneur within the company is one of the best ways to see your effort turn into a pay rise.
See also: The secret to finding a job and having a successful career today has to do with social skills
2. You compare yourself with others.
Sometimes good employees ask for a pay rise by comparing their skills with those of their colleagues. They may be right and genuinely be far more competitive, but the truth is that it rarely goes down well with management. Talk about yourself, not about others, and you’ll get better results.
3. Lack of respect and manners towards colleagues and the boss.
Even if you were the best professional in the company, being inconsiderate, showing little respect for your colleagues or having bad manners won’t end in a promotion, because a company that values itself and wants to keep things harmonious will never promote a jerk. Companies are increasingly aware of the consequences of having toxic people working for them, because they can infect everything and wreck the whole team. Even if they are excellent professionals, having a toxic person around doesn’t pay off overall.
4. Doing the bare minimum.
Doing just enough, and only what you’ve been asked to do, is not much these days, so it won’t lead to a promotion. If you want a pay rise or a promotion, you’ll have to show that you contribute beyond the basics, more than the rest of your colleagues. If you don’t want to fall short and want to play it safe, be the best by a huge margin over whoever comes second.
5. You’re not a team player.
Some employees are excellent at what they do, but they are a kind of lone wolf who works better alone. There is nothing wrong with that, unless you want to move up, because the higher you climb in the organisation chart, the more team and company spirit you need. These days, the new company culture preaches team spirit, and lone wolves are no longer welcome.
6. Threatening to leave to get a promotion or a pay rise.
Some workers are aware of what they have achieved for the company, and, let’s be realistic, the most suitable person is not always the one who gets promoted (connections exist). So this person threatens to leave and take their work, skills and talent to the competition. Big mistake: leave or stay, but never threaten to leave to get a pay rise, because it can backfire on you by announcing your intention to take a step you haven’t taken yet.
Finally, you have to give a valid reason.
When you meet to talk about a pay rise or a promotion, you have to sell yourself like a good product, and like any good product, you have to give the buyer good reasons. People only agree to requests if they have a reason to do so. Aggressive negotiation or shows of strength don’t work here, because few workers ever become indispensable to a company.
Sharing the company culture and getting them to see you as part of the company’s future and progress is usually one of the best reasons for them to promote you even without your asking. To do that, we have to show measurable, steadily improving results that mark an upward trend over time.
Lastly, if you think you are not valued as you deserve or not paid what you believe you have earned, and you can see the situation isn’t going to change, it’s up to you to prove your worth from another position outside that company.
Further reading
- 7 types of toxic people who shouldn’t stay in the company a minute longer than necessary
- 4 types of people you need to hire in your company
- 7 psychological traps that are holding back your success
- Why companies struggle to hire good salespeople
Featured image: Léon Augustin Lhermitte, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
