Practical guide · Dave Liloia
How to tell an employee they are not being promoted
State the decision, explain the evidence, hear their perspective and agree on development work. Use a specific follow-up without promising an outcome you cannot control.
Make the decision clear before you discuss the plan.
A good employee can be doing strong work in the current role and still lack evidence for the next one. If you mix those judgments together, they may hear the decision as a rejection of everything they have done. Prepare the distinction before the conversation.
State the current decision early. Then explain the gap using the expectations of the next role and examples you can support. If you have not made those expectations clear before, acknowledge that. A promotion conversation should not be the first time the person learns what the next job requires.
Prepare the evidence and your opening.
This fictional example concerns an experienced shift lead seeking a supervisor role. Their own shift runs well, but you have not yet seen them coordinate a change across shifts. That is a scope question, not a judgment about whether they work hard.
An opening might be: 'I am not recommending the promotion in this round. Your own shift has been reliable, and I need more evidence of how you lead work across shifts. I want to explain the examples I am using and hear what I may have missed.' Adapt the words to the actual decision and your organization's process.
Ask for their account. They may bring evidence you did not know about or identify a standard you have applied inconsistently. Listen closely enough that the facts can change your assessment. You do not need to defend a weak explanation just because you started with it.
Give development work an owner and a check-in.
Choose work that can demonstrate the relevant skill. In this example, the shift lead could coordinate a handover improvement with the other leads. Agree on the outcome, who needs to participate, and what evidence would show whether the change worked. The manager's part is to make the opportunity and support real.
Set an actual date to review the evidence, such as six weeks after the work starts. That is a development check-in, not a promised promotion date. Budget, vacancies and formal promotion decisions may involve people beyond you. Be clear about what you can decide.
Write down what you agreed and return to it.
Your follow-up should name the decision, the gap discussed, the agreed work and each person's next action. Keep the note factual and avoid turning disappointment into a claim about attitude. Ask the employee to correct anything you misunderstood.
At the check-in, examine what happened against the agreed expectations. Recognize new evidence and name what remains missing. If the plan no longer creates the opportunity you intended, change the plan rather than silently moving the standard.
Put the next step somewhere you can find it.
See a sample written plan and a fictional worked example. Check the free software limits and data handling before adding records. For a conversation you need to prepare now, arrange a $250 working session with Dave.
Related writing: Dave's longer article on promotion readiness.