Workplace

Promoting the Right People

When it comes to hiring for middle- and top-level management positions, nothing boosts employee morale more than promoting from within. Of course, this requires a pool of management prospects to exist within the corporation; otherwise, there is no choice but to hire outsiders.

So how can an MRO identify employees worthy of promotion? "I have a saying that `past behavior predicts future behavior,'" said Don Campion; founder, owner, and president of Banyan Air Services in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. "The degree to which a person applies themselves to their current position--the integrity and ability that they display in doing so--is a good predictor of how they will do when given more responsibility."

Creating a pool of promotion-worthy employees starts at hiring time, when managers give newcomers a shot at joining the company. Having detailed, accurate job descriptions helps managers choose the right people--especially if these descriptions clearly define precisely what is expected in each position--and use these criteria for performance evaluations later on.

"We've gone beyond defining what each job entails and included the necessary competencies that each position requires," said Lou Koch, director of human resources for Aviall in Dallas, Texas. "These are the knowledge, skills, and ability a prospect needs to do the job competently. Our performance appraisals are directly linked to these competencies. We use them to precisely measure how an employee is doing and what they need to improve upon to succeed."

When it is time to appraise an employee's efforts, having a detailed job description to measure their work against is a useful tool for managers. It also helps to have other staff members give their views on the person's performance.

At Banyan, the first performance review occurs at 90 days, before the new hire finishes their probationary period. At that time, "we hand out questionnaires to at least five of this person's coworkers," said Campion. "For instance, if it was a maintenance technician who was being evaluated, we would hand out two questionnaires to the technicians on the same shift, plus one to the parts room, one to the inspection office, and one to the avionics department. The questions we ask them include, does this person have the talent, the ability, and the knowledge to meet the requirements of his job? Does he have an attitude of team spirit? Does he share his knowledge and communicate it freely with other team members? And does this person make a positive impact on the performance and morale of his department?"

If problems are found, the next challenge is to determine what kind, and whether it is worthwhile to remedy them. For instance, if a new employee is a hard worker who simply lacks a few skills, then the smartest option is to train these skills into him or her. This ensures that the company hasn't wasted time and money hiring the person, and it helps build loyalty in the employee.

The "Peter Principle" refers to "the theory that employees within an organization will advance to their highest level of competence and then be promoted to and remain at a level at which they are incompetent." Advocated tongue-in-cheek by management commentator Laurence Peter a few decades ago, the Peter Principle is nevertheless a warning about the dangers of promoting the wrong people.

To avoid the Peter Principle, managers need to ensure that the people they promote are capable of doing their new jobs. Being able to measure an employee's recorded skills against the new position's detailed job description is a big help, however, effective promotion requires more.

Some employers ask each employee to define their career path at the company and commit in writing to the positions they aspire to. Human resources managers can thus ensure that employees receive the training they need over time to advance upwards, when the opportunity arises. They can also assess the employee's likely competence for promotion during performance reviews.

"Our performance reviews look at an employee in two different ways," said Koch. "How are you doing at your current job, and what must you do to prepare for the next promotional assignment?"

When an employee is doing well in their current position but is not suited to manage others, promotion is still possible. In these circumstances, "we give these employees the chance to broaden their skills and individual responsibilities, so that we can justify increasing their pay and retain their positive contributions to the company," said Campion.

Once a qualified employee has been promoted, the process of preparing for the next job should begin anew. In this way, a company can keep grooming the next group of leaders.

This approach can contribute substantially to the company's success. "Whether or not our customers are happy with our work, and whether or not they come back, all depends on the quality and commitment of our people," said Campion. "This is why finding, grooming, and promoting the right people is so crucial to an MRO's success." -- By James Careless