When Is It Time To Promote A Staff Member?

When you hire the right people, they will not only be great at what they do but also add value to your church and its members. These are the people you don’t want to lose. While it might not be feasible for every situation, in some cases it’s important to acknowledge their value to your team through a promotion. So how do you know when it’s time to promote a high-achieving staff member? 

To start, it’s crucial that you have a consistent staff review process and that each staff member has measurable and attainable goals. A promotion is not just something that a church leader feels is a good idea, you need to reward your staff based on tangible benchmarks of success. From there, you can start evaluating whether this person is ready for a new level of responsibility.

Here are some specifics to look for when considering a promotion on staff:

1. Meeting or over-achieving annual goals

Recall that an annual review and measurable goals are necessary before giving out promotions. That being said, the next step is determining whether your staff members have attained their goals and possibly even exceeded those goals. Some examples might be if your staff member increased your volunteer base, had more small group engagement, or created better systems for more fluid processes.

[FREE WEBINAR: 3 Secrets Of Effective Church Staff Reviews]

2. Tenure

If you have a staff member who has been on staff in the same role for a long time, it’s advised to highlight that person and his or her dedication to the team. This person has given time and effort towards the role, and that should be recognized. Showing your appreciation goes a long way, especially if it’s in the form of a promotion.

Note that promotions aren’t required just because someone has been on staff for a long time. Achievement benchmarks and goals still need to be tied into this person’s eligibility for a promotion.

3. Taking on more responsibility

Do you have a team member whose role has gradually grown to more than he or she was hired to do? More than likely it’s because that person has offered to take on more to help the team. If you have staff members who have been proactive about taking on more responsibility, it might be time to recognize that growth. This is a much clearer indication of “promote-ability,” simply because they’ve already added the new responsibility; all you do is place a title on it.

4. Ready for a challenge

Have you witnessed that someone on your team has maxed out what he or she can do in a certain role? Maybe this person hasn’t reached full potential and needs a new challenge. Encouraging someone to achieve more and add more value to the team will help this person desire to work harder than before. It means a lot to your team members when you’ve seen what they’re capable of and believe that they can do more.

5. Filling a need on staff

If there is a role (or roles) in your church that needs to be filled, look first to your staff members that may be able to take on the challenge. You may have someone right inside your own church walls that can take on the current need. The benefit here is that this is someone who already knows the culture, job and expectations of working on staff.  

6. Self-initiated

A key trait of someone who deserves an organizational promotion is being a self-starter and a good role model for other people on the team. This person will epitomize the values of your church and provide an example to the rest of the staff. Does your staff look to this person for advice? Promote people on your team who can lead leaders, develop teams, and encourage their peers.

As the new year begins, use these benchmark qualities to determine whether your top staff members should be up for a promotion.

Do you have a promotion process on your church staff team?