Promoting from within: readiness criteria and a fair decision
For team leads, supervisors, department managers and HR generalists who decide internal promotions. No prerequisites; 'Succession planning for small teams' is useful background, since it builds the pool this course selects from. You'll write readiness criteria from what the next role really needs, judge evidence of readiness rather than current-role results alone, run an internal process that's open, consistent and free of discrimination, and record a decision that can be explained and reviewed. Models used: the US Office of Personnel Management's assessment resources, US EEOC guidance and the US federal merit promotion rule as an example of good practice (jurisdiction: US federal examples). Your organisation's promotion policy and any local law apply; this is not legal advice and doesn't grant any professional qualification; your HR team should review promotion decisions.
- Level
- Intermediate
- Length
- About 90 minutes
- Contents
- 4 lessons · final exam
- Status
- Published · updated 10 Oct 2026
Skills you'll practise
- Write promotion readiness criteria from the target role's critical tasks and competencies
- Identify evidence of readiness for the target role, not just strong performance in the current role
- Plan an internal promotion process that is open, consistent and free of discrimination
- Record a promotion decision so it can be reconstructed, and give unsuccessful candidates useful feedback
Course outline
- 1.Writing promotion readiness criteria from the target roleLesson · 18 min
- 2.Identifying evidence of readiness for the target roleLesson · 18 min
- 3.Planning an internal promotion process that is open, consistent and fairLesson · 20 min
- 4.Recording the decision and giving feedbackLesson · 14 min
- 5.Promoting from within: readiness criteria and a fair decision: knowledge checkKnowledge check · 14 questions
- 6.Promoting from within: readiness criteria and a fair decision: practical exerciseKnowledge check · 1 question
- 7.Final exam8 questions · passing it completes the course, so people who already know the material can test out
Sources it draws on
The lessons and questions are written from these references, so learners can go back to the original.
- US OPM: Job Analysis (Assessment & Selection)
- US OPM: Competencies (Assessment & Selection)
- US OPM: Proficiency Levels for Leadership Competencies (PDF)
- US OPM: Structured Interviews (Assessment & Selection)
- US EEOC: Prohibited Employment Policies/Practices (job assignments and promotions)
- 5 CFR 335.103 Agency promotion programs (US federal merit promotion requirements), via Cornell LII
See it with your own jobs and topics
Tell us about your team and we'll walk you through setup, from choosing jobs to your first skills check.