It’s no fun to tell employees that they’ve been passed over for a promotion — especially if you value them and their work. What’s the best way to deliver the bad news? What can you say to make sure they don’t lose interest in their jobs or hold grudges against you or the decision makers? Should you offer something else in place of the promotion?
How to Tell an Employee They Didn’t Get a Promotion
It’s no fun to tell an employee they’ve been passed over for a promotion — especially if you value the person and their work. Your goal is deliver the news clearly and with empathy. First, validate your employee’s contributions and thank them for applying. Second, do not inadvertently make a promise you can’t keep by saying something like, ‘Next time you’ll get the job.’” You don’t know what the future holds. Your employee will likely ask why they didn’t get the job — be prepared to respond, but don’t let the conversation turn into a performance review. Instead, gently indicate that they lacked a certain experience, discipline, or skill set, and then say: “I’d love to continue this conversation further, so let’s set up a time to talk about how to get you the experience you need.” And then be sure to follow through.