If Mike (less successful as a salesperson but more qualified for sales manager) gets the promotion, how do you minimize the risk that Sara (the superstar salesperson who was less qualified to be manager) will be upset? (Go here for the first part of the story.)
Janove, author of the The Star Profile, suggests that using the Star Profiles approach, you can help Sara feel better about her situation.
With the star profile approach, before making your decision, you have discussed each profile characteristic of your star sales manager with Sara, Mike, and the other candidates. You’ve asked them for experiences in their current job and prior employment that indicate a potential match. In this context, a salesperson’s sales success, while relevant, has far less weight than it would in a more conventional, or nonprofile, approach. And Sara knows it.
Even so, how you convey to Sara your decision to promote Mike is extremely important. If you were to use a generalized nonprofile conclusion, something like "We picked Mike because we considered him the best candidate," then Sara, knowing that she has the highest numbers, is likely to speculate that some unfair or illegitimate reason motivated your decision.
Star Profile Make Bad News Palatable
Instead, use the star profile approach, which includes specifics, Janove says: "We selected Mike because, based on our assessment, which includes past experiences, he matches the three characteristics of the star sales manager profile better than any other candidate."
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That message will be far more palatable to Sara, especially if it is accompanied by an aside that acknowledges her star performance in her current job, Janove notes.
When candidates recognize that they do not match the characteristics of the star profile, they accept the decision. In fact, they are likely to support it. What a difference that makes, Janove notes. Mike won’t have to manage a disgruntled former colleague. Instead, he’ll have a built-in supporter.
Dealing with unsuccessful internal candidates—a critical task, but certainly not your only challenge. In HR and comp, if it’s not one thing, it’s another. Like FMLA intermittent leave, overtime hassles, ADA accommodation, and then on top of that whatever the agencies and courts throw in your way.
You need a go-to resource, and our editors recommend the “everything-HR-in-one website,” HR.BLR.com. As an example of what you will find, here are some policy recommendations concerning e-mail, excerpted from a sample policy on the website:
Privacy. The director of information services can override any individual password and thus has access to all e-mail messages in order to ensure compliance with company policy. This means that employees do not have an expectation of privacy in their company e-mail or any other information stored or accessed on company computers.
E-mail review. All e-mail is subject to review by management. Your use of the e-mail system grants consent to the review of any of the messages to or from you in the system in printed form or in any other medium.
Solicitation. In line with our general non-solicitation policy, e-mail must not be used to solicit for outside business ventures, personal parties, social meetings, charities, membership in any organization, political causes, religious causes, or other matters not connected to the company’s business.
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