You mentioned your colleague as a hard worker but did not mention either your organization's policy on promotions (yardstick) or your colleague's length of service. Sometimes, even though someone is a hard worker, the company's policy may not be in their favor. At times, the top position may require smart work rather than just hard work. All these factors will be assessed by the Performance Management System (PMS) team in HR, incorporating inputs from division heads. This evaluation may affect promotion opportunities even if employee loyalty is high. Additionally, instances of office politics cannot be overlooked.
Understanding the situation with your colleague can only be done after considering the aforementioned inputs. Without such information, it is hard to conclude whether the mistake lies with his immediate boss. For example, if a purchase department has a team of five in executive roles and the operations manager wants to promote one to assistant manager, criteria such as loyalty, tenure of service, hard work, or a combination of loyalty and smart work with diplomacy need to be evaluated. Diplomacy is crucial in vendor relations for timely purchases at the best prices and ensuring prompt supply through vendor management and market analysis.
It is essential to identify the individual with the capacity for such responsibilities rather than solely considering tenure or hard work. Each situation is unique, so each case must be analyzed to determine whether there are genuine reasons or foul play before taking any action. If there are valid reasons, improvement should be made according to company policy and requirements. A deserving employee should not miss out on promotion opportunities, even if the organization faces challenges.
Regards, Jagan Mohan HR