If your organization is like most, you prefer to promote from within. Here’s a good, three-step process for making sure your promotion process doesn’t trigger a lawsuit:
1. Make sure your job descriptions are up-to-date and accurate. Ensure they identify all the essential job functions, education and training requirements and other important factors such as shift and overtime requirements. Always review them before posting a promotion opportunity.
2. Then, tailor the job announcement to match the job description. This accomplishes three important objectives. It encourages as many qualified internal applicants as possible, and it dissuades those who are only marginally qualified. But most importantly, it spells out the objective criteria you will use to decide if internal candidates are qualified for the job.
3. Finally, screen each application to make certain they meet the minimum requirements. Rank them all (or just the top few if there are many candidates) by how well their résumés meet the qualifications. Now you’re ready to choose the most highly qualified employees to consider. Go ahead and begin the interview process.
If you play your cards right, not only will you have selected the best applicant to promote, but also you will be able to easily justify your selection if a disgruntled and rejected employee sues.
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