HAVE YOU HIT THE GLASS CEILING?
You’ve been ticking all the boxes in your role for quite some time now. Your performance reviews are glowing. Your team are glowing too (we love a good summer tan ;)). But you’ve applied for three roles in your current company in the last year and have been unsuccessful for all of them. You are entirely capable and you’ve made it clear to your direct Manager that you feel very ready and very passionate about that next step.
We call this the glass ceiling, and if you’re still reading, your cute little head is likely head-banging against that ceiling as we speak. OUCH.
Does the glass ceiling really still exist in 2021?
IMAGE VIA GANNI
Traditionally this has been a term used to talk about women in the workplace, however at Relier, we work in a female dominated niche of the industry (WE LOVE TO SEE IT!!!) and know glass ceilings can be an infrastructure of brand culture and leadership.
These pesky ceilings can pop up for a handful of reasons.
We’ll rattle off a few for you now …
1. Your company doesn’t do a great job of internal succession planning/promoting
2. Your company are scared to move you out of your current role because they believe it will be challenging to find someone who is ‘as good as you’ in your position
3. Your company haven’t been transparent with you about your performance and where you need to improve
4. Your company have formed a bad habit of hiring externally
5. Your skill in your current role isn’t viewed as ‘transferrable’ into that new role you’ve got your eyes on (say hello to study, baby)
It’s an itchy spot to be in. You can see the blue sky, the clouds and the sun shining, but you just can’t get that tan going (or worse: you’re getting a little burnt).
You might be seeing those close to you flourish in their careers and are stuck in that same spot thinking WHY MEEEEE! HELP ME RELIER!
It’s time to get serious and to think about your options. Some ground rules we think you should consider first things first:
1. You haven’t ‘done your time’
We strongly believe that you do need to commit to at least 18 months with each company and in each role before you are truly a great candidate for the next promotion. It’s not a hard & fast rule, because of course some promotions are fast tracked (especially when you are hired with a future role in mind), however generally speaking, if you are gunning for a promotion, you need to be realistic about how much time you have committed to your current team/project or position. If you jump ship too quickly, you’re viewed as a flight risk and are not an attractive candidate for a promotion in that circumstance.
If you haven’t done your time, you haven’t hit the ceiling yet.
However, if you’ve been in your current role for 2-3 years and have been unsuccessful in new internal role applications, read on.
2. You haven’t been clear about your goals
Have you considered what your end goal is and what stepping-stone roles will get you there?
We often see candidates make the mistake of applying for any old role that becomes available as they are desperate for change or progression. But girl, if you’re applying for Customer Service and then Marketing, Inventory or every other role that comes up – you’re confusing the team upstairs. You look like you aren’t serious about your growth and can come off as a little wishy-washy. You’re not at the glass ceiling yet – you’re just sending mixed messages and we do not love that for you.
You have hit the glass ceiling if you have been clear about your goals and you have shown consistent performance and received positive feedback about that performance.
Consider this:
Angel (a cutie in the Relier candidate pool) is currently a Store Manager. She has been managing her store for 3 + years and has been given the additional responsibility of hosting VIP events for the top tier of VIPs. She has interned with the Marketing team internally and with external marketing agencies on her days off. Angel has applied for Marketing Assistant and Coordinator roles in the department twice before and been made unsuccessful. Her store is performing well, hitting all KPIs and team turnover is low. She has gone out of her way to establish relationships with the Marketing team, has a degree in marketing, and is always chatting to her Area Manager about this being her goal. After three years in her current role, clear goals, relationship building and skill building in the area, it’s clear that our girl Angel has hit a glass ceiling. Enter: Relier recruiters (read: swoon).
Our point is, you have only hit the glass ceiling if you’ve taken clear steps toward your goal, expressed clear passions and have developed the skills to support those goals. Be sure you’re ticking all of these boxes before assuming there’s no more growth for you.
3. You haven’t mastered the milestones of your current role
If you are seeing others in the company achieve promotions and succession into higher roles, you are with a company who does succession well. Don’t fly away too soon, little birdie! It’s harder to find than you think.
We hate to say it, but it’s not us, it’s you. It’s very important to understand where your skill development is at and how your performance truly ranks in comparison to the KPIs and expectations. We hope you’re having honest conversations with your manager about your performance and skills, and we hope you know where you truly stand! Promotions don’t happen because you’re next in line, they happen because you’ve shown immense potential and have been resilient to feedback and change.
Before you assume you’ve hit a glass ceiling, you need to be sure you’ve mastered the milestones that are expected in your role. And if you don’t know, have the conversation, baby! Ask for the feedback and work like a sponge.
So where are you at?
If you’re still reading, we think you’re the shattering head-banger, the glass ceiling’s best friend, a confused reader who wants more, is ready for more but is stuck on next steps.
Some companies do have a glass ceiling loitering through the corridors and you will innately know when it’s time for change. Many businesses have an external hiring strategy and they look to bring experts in from outside, rather than nourishing the talent internally. And we say – it’s important to do both.
If you are performing incredibly well, you’ve done your time in your role, have been very clear about your goals and have clearly developed the skills you need for that next step… you shouldn’t be hitting a glass ceiling. You’re ready for the next step and you have two options:
1. Speak openly to your Manager about how you’re feeling
2. Get onto our Job Board (PLUGGGGGGG)
With love,
Lauren x