My advice: Should I stick with the status quo?

Everyone has been in that position during the course of their career where they have gone for a promotion or new job opportunity and have been left feeling disappointed.

There are always reasons why people get overlooked but it can be tough to pick yourself up after failing to win that promotion. What is hardest to deal with is when someone feels that they have been deliberately overlooked because they are too valuable and perform too well in their current role and there are times where you have to excel and stand out from others in your team.

However, If someone performs exceptionally well then it can be all too easy for bosses to stick with the status quo rather than give them the promotion they have earned. It would be very wrong to deliberately hold someone back and in the long-term that kind of thinking will only create more problems than it solves, but there can be other underlying reasons why people fail to progress.

As ever, communication is vital in situations such as these for all parties concerned. It is really important that all employees fully understand the philosophy and strategy of the firm and how it applies to them.

But it is also equally important that managers fully understand their staff and grasp what are the key levers that motivate and drive them forward. For some people personal motivation is about career progression and advancement, while for others it can be about financial rewards and for others work-life balance.

If I was in the position where I felt I had been overlooked for a job that I was more than equipped to handle I would be asking for an interview to talk through the various issues. I would also want to know the reasons why I had been overlooked and exactly what prospects I had going forward.

But people need to tread carefully as management might have their own motives for opting for a particular candidate. It is the job of a chief executive or director to see the broader picture and make the decisions that are right for the company as a whole. The best leaders and managers don’t always excel in one area but tend to be all-rounders who are adaptable and have a wide set of skills.

As a manager I would also be asking myself the question why it has taken the unsuccessful candidate so long to come forward to press their case. You always have to question what motivates people and question their personal ambition.

It is always important to understand what motivates people and a pay rise might well be enough to address an issue that could ultimately cause problems for everyone involved.

However, if someone genuinely feels they have been overlooked for the sake of convenience then the time may have come to move on. Anyone who excels at what they do will never struggle to find employment elsewhere.