How do you get promoted at work? Interview or Work

[ElideLochan]

I'm looking at my next level, i've been working up to it for over a year now - i am definitely the most experienced member of my team, i have the best 'technical' skills, i train new people etc

I'm expecting them to announce new roles, but i (big headedly) dont think i should have to interview, as i have been doing the role and would be the best

But, enough about me, how does promotion work where you are? do you have to interview for each level? or are there some that you can just 'get promoted'

I had to have 2 interviews and was treated exactly the same as external candidates

Always had to interview. Never just been given a promotion (4 promotions at my current company)

We fill out a long form based on core competencies which are then marked against the framework to see if you get an interview. You can be completely crap and still get through if you are good at blagging on forms.

Depends on your industry.
Everywhere I’ve worked you’ve had to apply and be interviewed for promotion.
I wouldn’t take “being the best” as a given you’ll get it.

I work in a large international corporation and, yes it’s a full application process for any new role.

I have seen many unsuccessful internal candidates who get turned down because they are complacent at application/interview and don’t effectively demonstrate how the meet the desired criteria.

Also, the best/most technical/there the longest doesn’t always mean you are the best candidate for the next grade up - there is a reason they are different roles and may require different skills.

In my experience, the least experienced but the most confident tended to get the promotions, apart from a select few who’s knowledge earned them it

For us it just happens during performance reviews, but promotion just means changing grade. The job remains the same.

We have to apply for a role at a higher grade.

Almost always an interview. TBH I've interviewed candidates who thought they somehow deserved the promotion due to seniority, experience, being good at their job who actually were rubbish or decent at their level but not ready for the next step up. They always came across badly.

Definitely apply, but prepare your arse off for the interview, get someone to do a mock, and act like they've never met you before. You'll be grand if you prepare!

Didn't interview. I was given the role based on my performance. I had to cover for my boss while he was away which meant participating in lots of meetings with our senior management team (who otherwise wouldn't have seen what I was capable of). A few weeks after my boss came back, I was promoted into his role as head of dept and he was demoted back into the team reporting to me. Yes, it was awkward and I felt awful!!!

All jobs are advertised and people apply and interview, internal and external candidates treated exactly the same.

I have had five promotions in the past. Four were given to me to recognise my development and achievement in my role. The other one was similar but came about as part of a re-structure. I didn’t ask for any of them, nor did I interview for any of them. But I guess things work differently in different industries (I am in Media). Good luck anyway. If you do have to interview I would really treat it as seriously as you would if you were external.

You just get promoted here up to a certain level, then you need to 'prove' you deserve it. That's a really high level though, and apparently the interviewers just rip your presentation to hell. Very rarely get it the first time.

Public sector always interview or even assessment centre. Never on merit alone. I was terrible at jumping through hoops but very capable. If you didn’t want to jump through the hoops, despite them saying you’re good enough you won’t even get more responsibility to reflect your ability. Lots of crap people were promoted beyond their ability too.

Current role in small but growing company and I was promoted with a big pay rise after 18 months. Manager is hinting at further responsibility but previous experience has dented my confidence. It’s much better to promote on merit, the evidence is much more reliable than an interview - a proven terrible method of selection.

thanks all - i would see that working with someone would give you a better idea if someone was suited to the role than an hour interview would, i know people that are incredible at interview but shit at their roles, and vice versa

Roles evolve with competence and business need, so no interview as the promotion reflects ability and business need.
However this is in a growing SME

Generally adverts and interviews in my experience but occasionally (for higher level jobs) they just get regraded. It's always when theirs is an individual role so nobody else does the same or a similar job.