The Monty Heat Treat News has worked closely with International Search Partners (a US search firm known for being the only recruiting firm in the world working exclusively in heat treating), for over 20 years. That relationship has blossomed into a regularly featured article, “Ask the Heat Treat Recruiter,” where ISP’s seasoned team answers questions about salaries, interviewing, negotiations, and a host of other topics related to recruiting and job searching for companies and/or individual employees.

Every quarter in 2024, Managing Recruiter, Josh Hale and Sr. Recruiter, Jessica Maier, will address questions that come up regularly from industry professionals (email questions for future editions to [email protected]). Today’s question is one many hardworking professionals have asked themselves over the years…

If I’m doing my job well and making myself indispensable in my current role, why would my employer ever promote me? Don’t I need to switch companies to advance my career?

Many people find themselves in a situation as an employee where they feel like they’ve worked themselves into a corner by becoming so critical in their current role that they become “handcuffed” and not able to move up or be promoted because nobody else can do what they’re doing. This undesirable scenario can be magnified in the heat treat industry where there is a lot of institutional knowledge and a lack of new workers entering the field.

When companies choose to promote from within, there are several various factors that go into such a decision. Management will assess the internal candidate’s leadership potential, skills/abilities, motivation/engagement, as well as analyzing any affect such a move will have on others in the department re: morale and stability. Of course, this all comes after they have determined that there is a need or gap to fill, and they have the budget to afford to promote someone into a higher-level role.

Reasons to not promote someone can also be numerous and include financial constraints, internal politics/favoritism, more suitable outside candidates… and, yes, sometimes part of the equation in deciding to hold an employee back may have to do with the fear of losing them in in their current role. However, most companies will recognize that is not a good long-term strategy because promoting high performers is an effective retention strategy and helps support workforce stability while keeping key pieces of information within the organization.

For a concerned and ambitious employee afraid that they may still fall into this trap, here are some steps that they can take to ensure that they are at least considered for the next promotion:

• Open Communication. Having a clear and open dialogue with management about career aspirations is the best way to remain at the forefront of promotion talks. This should be done early and often.
• Document. Making note of achievements by writing it down, including details and numbers where appropriate, is a good habit for not only advancing in one’s current company, but also useful for exploring opportunities outside.
• Skills Development. For a company to move someone up out of a role that they’re doing very well in, they need to see an ROI. Taking a course on leadership or other advanced training is a great way to demonstrate a desire for advancement.
• Network. Building relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and other departments is a worthwhile way to stay informed of openings ensure visibility.
• Time. Sometimes it just takes waiting for the right opportunity and circumstances before advancement makes sense for all parties. Going back to point #1, communication is key here so that everyone is on the same page and expectations are set.

Finally, there are situations where one is truly being held back and it makes sense that switching to a different company is the only way to spur forward career movement. If that’s the case, partnering with a third-party recruiting firm like ISP is a great way to engage one’s job search confidentially without raising suspicion with current management or detracting from active work. Just be sure to be clear and detailed with the recruiter what specific job functions and responsibilities are going to be enticing.

Josh Hale has collaborated with companies to identify, engage, and hire top performers as a professional “headhunter” where he’s focused exclusively on the heat treat industry as part of International Search Partners since acquiring the firm in 2015. He works closely with Jessica Maier to support the practice, and, together, they’ve helped dozens of companies and hundreds of candidates find the match within the industry, including roles for engineering, sales, quality, metallurgy, management, and more. For additional information email [email protected] or call 619-465-9621.

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