Encourage managers to follow suit
To support your focus on promoting from within, you need to cascade it through the company.
Start by b
eing consistent with your commitment to it. Vadnais’ track record shows proof of his preference for promoting from within, especially when it comes to management positions.
That kind of consistency will back up the message when you encourage managers to follow your lead and prepare their employees.
“It has to start with an awareness and recognition of the need to develop people,” Vadnais says. “When I talk to my general managers, for example, I will ask them, ‘How is so-and-so doing?’ Or if I don’t know their people that well, I would say, ‘Tell me who your best person is in this department or in this function.’”
Because ValueClick is part of a high-growth field, the company is frequently hiring — and moving people around internally — to fill new positions. Though the economy has slowed that cycle, the general pattern of growth necessitates that management stay aware of candidates who are ready for the next level.
When managers keep an eye on future leaders, they’ll make their jobs easier down the road. If you have candidates in mind for certain positions — and prepare them by developing their skills — you won’t have to worry about bringing future hires up to speed with the business or wonder whether they’ll perform like their resumes suggest.
“When we have a management opening, the first question I always ask is, ‘Who in your organization is the most qualified person for us to promote into that position?’” Vadnais says. “And it’s rare that I get an answer of, ‘We don’t have anybody.’”
Vadnais tries to visit ValueClick’s various offices as often as he can to interact with employees and gather both objective and subjective data about their performance. But with 1,200 employees worldwide, he can’t identify all the potential in the company by himself.
“You may have an opinion of an individual because you see them twice a year in a meeting or you talk to them once a month on the phone, but that opinion is not enough to make a key business decision on,” Vadnais says. “So if you don’t spend enough time with them to know them well, then you should be getting a lot of advice before you make a decision.”
Because your managers are closer to their employees than you may be, they’re a better judge of who’s ready for a promotion. But when you encourage managers to prepare future leaders, you also have to trust them to do so.
First, recognize that your managers may not be measuring employees against the same scales you would. They have a better idea of the skills necessary to run their division, so they may value different traits in their future replacements.
“I don’t expect them to use every tool that I use or think the way I think,” Vadnais says. “What I’m more concerned with is: Will that person be the right person for the job in that division? If the general manager is convinced, unless I have some very strong evidence to the contrary, I’m going to side with them.”
Still, you should test why the manager is making that choice. Don’t just take his or her word for it; ask the manager to explain what the employee has done that indicates superior performance and leadership potential.
If you consistently identify top performers and attentively develop their skills — and encourage your managers to do the same — you’ll not only create a domino effect of internal promotions but you’ll also foster a culture where employees strive to be those top performers and to improve themselves.
“This is part of the way that we operate,” says Vadnais, whose company reported 2008 revenue of $625.8 million. “That never changes. They know there will be goals. They know we will measure those goals. They know we will recognize the leaders who achieve their objectives at the highest level.”
How to reach: ValueClick Inc., (818) 575-4500 or www.valueclick.com
