Those working in Human Resources, when considering the possibility of an internal promotion to fill a vacancy, are aware of the saying we all know: “better the devil you know than the devil you don’t”. Perhaps I am exaggerating, because when it comes down to it, a good HR professional will exhaust every possibility to find the good candidate they have yet to meet, which makes their job more complicated. The truth is that what is familiar is not always better, and sometimes a company can fall prey to one of the Syndromes detailed below, which can create even more problems than leaving a position unfilled.

The Peter Syndrome

According to the Peter Principle, employees tend to rise to their level of incompetence. In other words, an excellent technician would not necessarily make a good technical director. Giving employees new roles and increasing their responsibilities, particularly managerial ones, inevitably leads to some management issues.

Someone who feels incompetent will, unintentionally, tend to recruit someone even less competent for fear of being replaced. Share on X

This highly damaging tendency could result in an inverted pyramid of skills. To combat this syndrome effectively, companies must accurately assess their employees’ potential, as well as provide them with training.

The Stereotype Syndrome

This is evident when additional responsibility is given to a man rather than a woman, or when an employee is promoted to manager because of the school they attended rather than their professional achievements. Discriminatory stereotypes can influence us more than we realise and could lead to organisational models based on cloning.

The Fly Syndrome

Do you know someone who gets involved in a project in a disorganised way and then takes the credit once the project is complete? That person is the fly. There are certain people who always appear to be very busy and get involved in every matter. They believe themselves to be essential everywhere, while in reality they are a nuisance everywhere. Some people have the ability to make their superiors notice them, even though their achievements and skills are not up to standard.

The Octopus Syndrome

The owners of some companies often make the mistake of thinking that everyone should be able to do whatever is asked of them. If a salesperson must focus on sales, that person should not be working in marketing and communications. When an employee takes on a multitude of roles, this can cause confusion in terms of capabilities and career development.

The Julius Caesar Syndrome

The Roman Senate had to swallow a bitter pill after Julius Caesar, who was full of ambition, conquered Gaul and took power in Rome. Experience and know-how are not synonymous with loyalty. Promoting someone to a key position requires special attention.

A wolf should never be allowed into a flock of sheep. Share on X

Your talented employees bring success to the company, but they must also demonstrate certain values. To prevent these syndromes from spreading unnecessarily, pay as much attention to internal promotion as you do to external recruitment, and avoid promoting people who may well exhibit one of these Syndromes.

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The Most Common HR Promotion Pitfalls to Avoid at All Costs

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