Leadership Potential May Be The Reason You’re Getting Passed Over

Posted August 2, 2019 by Mary McGinley

There are plenty of reasons why workers get passed over for a promotion. While it can be disheartening, according to Jerene with Human Resources Online, there could be a reason for it.

In today’s job market where companies are searching for top talent, the number one reason why workers don’t get promoted from within is that they lack leadership potential.  Of those participating in a recent survey of business leaders in Singapore, 53% said that the ability to take the initiative and lead others in the workplace is crucial. Also cited by them were a lack of experience at 45% and lack of soft skills at 39%.

Managing Director for Robert Half in Singapore, Matthiew Imbert-Bouchard told Human Resources Online that because failing to be promoted can be a big demotivator; it’s important for business leaders to offer solutions to keep their confidence and enthusiasm up. “Involving team members in new projects and offering additional responsibilities are both solid examples of how to keep staff engaged and motivated, especially after having been denied a promotion,” Imbert-Bouchard said. 

Other ways that workers are being offered a chance to keep at it and try to advance their careers is by offering them further training to improve their skills is by shadowing team leads or managers. Some managers instead find that by calling for those workers’ input when assessing challenging situations that face their team or organization, delegating more responsibilities their way, or giving them a project to oversee are all good ways to help.