How to say I want to be promoted after maternity leave

[Peonyyyy]

I’ve just recently returned after a year on my second maternity leave and keen to hit the ground running with my development to work towards a promotion as I’ve been at the same level for 5 years.

I have a one to one with my manager coming up, how best would you handle this? I have brought it up before but both times I then got pregnant so it sort of didn’t go anywhere.

How can I make it clear I want to be promoted and show I’m an asset when I have to recent work to use as examples? As a manager what would you want to see? Have you ever done something like this and could give any advice?

What work would you have to use as examples - maybe focus on developing those experiences in the short term with a view to then being ready for promotion in say a year?

Yes I think that would be best.

I haven’t got involved in any projects yet and kind of just ticking along having meetings with the team and getting reoriented but really feeling like I need some things to get stuck into and more of an idea of what my priorities should be.

im conscious of not wanting to be sidelined or thought of as someone who should just do the little behind the scenes tasks.

so I guess shall I just say I’m keen to get more involved in some bigger projects to help the team with a view to progressing to a promotion in the next year?

I think I would just spell it out that you are really enthusiastic to be back in work and want to focus on developing as a team and individually.

Ask if there are any forecasted promotions.

Sell your experience as a long term employee who is familiar with the organisation.

Ask what kind of skills they think you should develop/improve upon to go up a level, have real attainable goals to set based on this feedback that you can reference at future one to ones.

Make a personal development plan. You can showcase this to your manager. Progression isn’t just about the manager pushing you towards the promotion - how are you going to get there? Write down goals and a roadmap of where you want to be in the next 6-12m. That’ll impress your manager and (if they’re a good leader) support you to get there.

@ItsOnlyHobnobs ooh thank you, this is really great and advice and a good way of wording it. I’ve found it hard to think of a way to put a positive spin on being on Mat leave twice!

How do promotions work where you are? Is it an annual cycle or are you dependent on someone leaving and creating space or on more woke being generated which requires someone more senior or what? Do you have a job spec for the promoted position and have you identified what you are lacking? If not, how can you find that information.
I think I’d take the built up experience, for the mat leaves out the way and now want to focus on your career and the next step is to achieve the promotion and set out what you think you need to do and then ask them what they think you need to do.

If you have had two years of mat leave in 5 years then in my head you’ve only been at the same level for 3 years. Is that a normal amount of experience before your next promotion? If yes then I’d be making that case.

Also look at what the next level of seniority requires - will it fit with your childcare and what happens if kids get sick - are you in any critical or time-sensitive or “must be in the office” type of job? I know employers can’t ask but I would want to actively address a concern about childcare responsibilities potentially clashing with work responsibilities and how you’d manage that (eg dh can cover if kids are sick and I have a work crisis or deadline).

In my experience employees fall into 3 categories

1. High flyers/talent who management have earmarked for promotion whether the person has indicated they want it or not.
2. Good employees who are established in their role and management would happily leave them be - they have to be proactive in making it known they want to impress
3. Employees who, for whatever reason, attitude problem, not played the politics right, or even something really unfair like taking too much time off sick management don't want to promote no matter how much the peson wants it.

Which category are you - if 2 you need to make it known that you are keen for progression. Sometimes, going for an internal role even though you not in line for it is a way to get on the decision makers radar, and move from 2 to 1. You may have to go through a few internal interviews before you get promoted.

@IDontHateRainbows i used to be number 1, was regularly told by my director I was really good and would go far, would get promoted over a colleague who had been there much longer than me.

then he left, I had a baby and came back part time. I discussed promotion and steps were put in place to help me get there but I was told the company is different now and there needs to be a role available to get promoted not just because you deserve it/have ticked all the boxes (I can understand this from a business perspective obviously) this dragged on for a while and by the time this was set in motion I was pregnant again and then it all basically went out of the window/wasn’t discussed anymore.

I’ve now come back and the team is larger, with full time men and I’m the only woman and part timer. There is a new director who doesn’t know me other than an initial welcome back meeting (he doesn’t sit anywhere near us and I’m not in any meetings with him).

Have had a meeting today where I was set objectives for the next year with my manager a check in after 6 months, I was expecting to have a chance to talk about my development but I didn’t get opportunity and got the feeling it wasn’t the time to bring it up (perhaps I should’ve been more pushy and brought it up anyway). I had a proper look at the objectives afterwards and they are really wishy washy and not high profile, and a big project that was casually mentioned to be for me to do by my manager and director is now not on there. So I guess someone else in my team got to do it instead.

I’ve heard whispers of a restructure and things just aren’t looking good for me now.

im starting to realise what it feels like to be completely sidelined for being part time and having children. Had a little cry on my own in the toilets today.

The crazy thing is I haven’t changed, I’m the same person, I work just as hard, I’m just part time and I have children. I shouldn’t have to prove myself all over again every time I go on maternity leave.

Maybe the new people are just all better than me and I’m now the weakest link.

I would focus on: your most recent work and the impact it’s had/revenue it brought in (compared to the cost of payrise you want), job description of the next level up (internally ideally but on competitors adverts if only examples available) and examples of work you’ve delivered well that meets the criteria, ask for clear targets to work on over next 6 months. It also depends on how your organization works- at mine (professional, public sector) people get a (tiny) pay rise each year but we can’t magic up a promotion at a level higher unless a vacancy is empty

I think perfectly legitimate to go back and say you’ve reflected on the objectives and you’d like to discuss ones with more stretch and bigger projects. And specifically you’d like to schedule some time to discuss the route to the next level as that is where you are targeting.

I will be honest though and say IMO that these things are much harder to achieve part time. But that just means you need to be strategic and targeted in where you are directing your energy whilst ensuring the part time nature doesn’t make things harder for colleagues - as otherwise it will be easy for them to have you picking up pieces around the edges with full timers in the lead.

Being honest with yourself, is it realistic to promote to the next level up part time? (Also what level of part time are you, 4 days vs 3 days can make a material difference)

if not, would you be willing to go back full time to secure a promotion?

Rightly or wrongly, it can be more difficult to secure a step up on a part time basis, or be given big projects to lead. Depends on the type of role you do of course, but things like having to organise project meetings around part time working hours make things more difficult, or it can cause delays because you have 1-2 days a week where actions can’t progress.

I would ask to have a meeting with your manager to discuss your development. Say you’re keen to progress and take on more responsibility, and put together a PDP plan for yourself to discuss with them - that shows you’ve thought about it and are taking it seriously.

But also be prepared to have an honest conversation about what you’re willing to give in order to be promoted. If it meant going full time again would you be willing to do that? Knowing and being clear with yourself about your boundaries up front will also help you have a constructive discussion.