A recent CareerBuilder study explored why employers pass up certain people for promotions and found that more than half would not promote someone who:
- Says “that’s not my job” (71%)
- Is often late (69%)
- Has lied at work (68%)
- Takes credit for other people’s work (64%)
- Often leaves work early (55%)
- Takes liberties with expenses charged back to the company (55%).
We reached out to CareerBuilder’s Matt Tarpey to learn more about why these behaviors are problematic and what employers are looking for when they give out promotions.
APT: Why is it such a problem when people say “it’s not my job”?
Tarpey: Employers like to promote people who are easy to work with and supportive of others. Saying “it’s not my job” damages the positive team atmosphere and suggests you’re not ready to manage a team.
APT: Some of these behaviors seem like pretty obvious examples of what not to do on the job. Why do people engage in them?
Tarpey: Employees may not realize that their actions are holding them back professionally. Employers tend to expect more of employees looking to advance within the company, and your behavior is a good indicator to them of whether you’re ready for the next step.
APT: Are people who exhibit one of these problematic behaviors likely to exhibit others?
Tarpey: Employers are continually assessing their employees’ professionalism and attitude, especially when looking for candidates for promotion. If you show up on the boss’s radar in a bad way, they’ll likely be less lenient when assessing your other behaviors down the line.