What if my company has no formal promotion process?

The checklist still applies, since the underlying signals, documented wins, visibility, an explicit ask, matter even more when there is no process to carry you automatically.

I have ticked everything and still have not been promoted, what now?

That points to a decision outside your control, such as budget, headcount, or a manager without a working relationship with the level above them. Ask directly what is blocking it.

Does documenting my wins feel like showing off?

A private list for your own reference and a review conversation is not showing off, it is preparation. Nobody else needs to see the document.

How many of these do I need before asking?

There is no fixed cutoff, but having a written case, some scope already in the next level, and an explicit conversation with your manager are the three hardest to skip.

Promotion readiness checklist

A promotion case is rarely blocked by the quality of your work alone. It is just as often blocked by the case for it never being written down, or the conversation never being had out loud.

This checklist covers the eight things that most consistently separate a promotion that happens from one that stalls: performance, documentation, visibility, and simply asking.

What is already true for you

You have consistently met or exceeded your targets for at least two review cyclesOne good quarter is not a pattern. Two full cycles is what most managers look for before raising a promotion.You have a written record of your wins: metrics, projects shipped, problems you solvedMemory fades. A manager building a promotion case for you needs specifics, not a vague sense that you did well.You are already doing some of the next level’s work, not just your current role’sPromotions usually formalise work already happening, they rarely create it from nothing.You have mentored, unblocked or reviewed the work of at least one other personOwnership beyond your own tasks is the most common gap between senior individual contributor levels.People outside your immediate team know what you work onA promotion committee that has never heard of you is unlikely to approve it, however good the work.You have explicitly told your manager you want to be promoted, and asked what is missingManagers are not always tracking who wants what. An unspoken goal is easy to leave off the list.You know the pay band and title for the level you are asking forWalking in with a specific ask is stronger than asking to "be considered" for something unnamed.Your company has an open review or promotion cycle coming up in the next two quartersEven a strong case can sit until the next cycle. Knowing the calendar tells you when to actually raise it.

Readiness

0 of 8 checked

0.0% of the usual signals are in place

Still missing: You have consistently met or exceeded your targets for at least two review cycles
Still missing: You have a written record of your wins: metrics, projects shipped, problems you solved
Still missing: You are already doing some of the next level’s work, not just your current role’s
Still missing: You have mentored, unblocked or reviewed the work of at least one other person
Still missing: People outside your immediate team know what you work on
Still missing: You have explicitly told your manager you want to be promoted, and asked what is missing
Still missing: You know the pay band and title for the level you are asking for
Still missing: Your company has an open review or promotion cycle coming up in the next two quarters

Everything above is worked out in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us or saved anywhere.

How this is worked out

Tick every item that is already true for you, honestly rather than aspirationally.
The headline is a simple count out of eight, it is not a formula a company actually uses.
Every unticked item is listed as still missing, in the order it appears above.

What this does not cover

This is a personal prompt, not a scoring system any employer recognises or uses.
Company promotion processes vary hugely; some weigh tenure, some weigh a formal committee vote, some have no process at all.
Checking every box does not guarantee a promotion. It means the usual blockers are not the reason you would be turned down.

Questions people ask

What if my company has no formal promotion process?: The checklist still applies, since the underlying signals, documented wins, visibility, an explicit ask, matter even more when there is no process to carry you automatically.
I have ticked everything and still have not been promoted, what now?: That points to a decision outside your control, such as budget, headcount, or a manager without a working relationship with the level above them. Ask directly what is blocking it.
Does documenting my wins feel like showing off?: A private list for your own reference and a review conversation is not showing off, it is preparation. Nobody else needs to see the document.
How many of these do I need before asking?: There is no fixed cutoff, but having a written case, some scope already in the next level, and an explicit conversation with your manager are the three hardest to skip.

Where these figures come from

Rates and rules on this page were last checked against the source on 31 August 2026. Tax law changes; check the source before you rely on a number for a decision.

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