Pushing for a promotion can be an intimidating and nerve-wracking experience.
But if you’re hungry to progress your career and know you’re ready, you absolutely have to put yourself forward and fight for yourself.
Too many people slow their own career progression by not being willing to ask for – and justify – a promotion.
Here are some tips on 10 to justify a promotion to your boss and give yourself the best chance of being promoted and getting a raise:
How to Justify a Promotion to Your Boss in 6 Steps
Be Honest About Why You Want the Promotion
The first step is more about you than it is your boss, but it’s one of the most important steps and is crucial to show your boss why you deserve a promotion.
You need to be honest about why you want the promotion.
The tricky part here is that we always want more money, and I understand that – money has been proven to be motivating.
But if the only reason you want a promotion is to get more money, this isn’t the best reason and certainly won’t be enough to build a case around.
Hopefully, you want to be challenged by your new role, demonstrate your leadership skills and professional growth over the years, and are motivated by other professional goals.
Jot down why you want a promotion, what you can bring to the role, and why you’re perfectly suited for the role – because your boss is going to ask you this at some point!
Related – Here are 10 signs that your boss is lining you up for a promotion!
Research the Role Inside Out
There is really no such thing as being over-prepared when it comes to justifying why you’re perfectly suited for the role if you’re promoted.
If you can convince your boss that you’re right for the role and will bring added value to the company, they’ll find it hard to deny you – it’s as simple as that.
The more you know about what your responsibilities and tasks will be if you’re promoted and how you can handle them, the better.
This is where doing your research comes in.
Be sure to know everything about the role you want, what it entails, and how you will excel in the position.
Your boss will certainly be impressed by your dedication and commitment if you can show them that you’re already thinking about how you’ll contribute to the company if promoted.
According to Gallup; great managers are rare because companies fail to choose the right candidate 82% of the time!
Present Your Case for Being Promoted
This is the most important step in the process, you may be perfect for the role and deserving of the promotion, but you need to convince your boss this is the case.
Use the points you made in the previous step to build your case and remember to back up everything you say with examples.
Don’t just tell your boss why you think you should be promoted, show them.
Be clear, concise, and make sure your argument is watertight.
Your boss may have some questions or objections, and that’s fine.
Be prepared to answer these questions and objections with more examples of your skills, experience, and successes.
The more prepared you are, the more likely you are to get the promotion.
Demonstrate Why You’re the Right Person for The Role
There is truth in the old adage that actions speak louder than words when it comes to showing your boss you deserve a promotion.
Your boss wants to see that you’re the right person for the role, not just hear you say it.
So, in addition to presenting your case for being promoted, you also need to demonstrate it.
One way to do this is by taking on extra responsibility and going above and beyond in your current role.
Or, if possible you could do some work that overlaps with what you’d be doing in your promoted role and show them how prepared you are.
Your boss will be impressed by your willingness to go the extra mile and this will certainly work in your favor when it comes to them making a decision.
Further Your Skills and Knowledge
On the heels of demonstrating that you’re the right person for the role, you should also be involved in continual professional development.
This could be anything from taking on extra assignments at work to taking relevant courses and attending industry events.
By furthering your skills and knowledge, you’re not only making yourself a more valuable asset to the company, but you’re also showing your boss that you’re committed to your career and want to progress within the company.
This will put you in a much stronger position when it comes to justifying your promotion.
Set a Timeline with Your Boss And/or Yourself
There is only so long you can – and should – be willing to wait for your boss to make a decision on your promotion.
For the sake of your own mental health and professional development, you should set a deadline for either being promoted or accepting you need to change direction.
If the time is not right for you to be promoted, this shouldn’t stop you from pursuing a new challenge and furthering your career.
Start looking for other promotion opportunities both inside and outside of your company.
Related – How to tell your boss you’re going for an interview.
Why It’s So Tough to Ask for A Promotion
The main reason most people find it difficult to ask for a promotion is because of the feeling of vulnerability.
When we ask for a promotion we’re handing control and our future dreams, ambitions, and hopes over to someone else (your boss), and they’re going to evaluate you basically.
That’s a pretty scary feeling.
The thought of being told you’re not ready to be promoted doesn’t feel good to anyone, it can really damage your confidence.
But it shouldn’t.
In business, if you don’t ask or push yourself, you’re never going to achieve your best potential, it’s as simple as that.
You can’t wait around for opportunities to be presented to you, it never works out like that – you need to be proactive.
Asking for a promotion, as long as you properly build and present your case so you can justify it to your boss, is always the right thing to do.
Don’t ever doubt yourself or talk yourself out of chasing a promotion!
Sources we used to verify the information in this article:
The Conversation – How to be more persuasive
Image credits – Photo by Christina @ wocintechchat.com on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.