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So you’ve been with your organisation for a couple of years or more, maybe even five now, but your job and responsibilities haven’t change at all even as the years begin showing on you.

And to top it all, there may be no external reasons for this.

Look close and it is not difficult to spot the below reasons that are keeping you away from moving up the career ladder.

Complacent attitude

Not everybody wakes up in the morning, itching to go to work. Many of us just work for the money to make ends meet, and some of might have lost our passion for work a decade ago.

“Not all employees are looking for a promotion. Some are quite content where they are. It isn't a lack of drive or ambition – it is being content with where they are,” as A Athawale, a recruitment expert says.

Leaving a semi-retired life does suit many. “I did have a job with long hours but then I switched to my current one with no challenges, no strict deadlines to meet and of course no growth. But I’m ok with it. I have enough time to spend with family and friends. It suits me,” said a Dubai-based employee on the condition of anonymity.

Your seniors are stagnating

Many argue that they are not complacent and do not shy from work but they are still stuck in the same role for years. If you are not responsible for this situation, those above you could be.

In any organisation, once senior management has been stagnating at their respective roles for a while, it then becomes difficult for top management to promote youngsters, especially middle management.

“Sometimes, companies land up holding back employees for a longer period than expected. It might be due to a bit of crowding at the level above and promotion of a particular employee may be restrained,” adds Athawale.

“Lack of promotion is often due to a limited organisational structure where all the positions above that employee are already occupied and therefore there is no room for growth,” agrees Caroline Gentles, Senior Consultant at Cobalt HR Consultancy.

“If this is the case, the employees must be proactive with their own career development and make sure they raise this with their boss at their annual appraisal. If you are a valuable employee to the organisation, they will do their best to keep you and make you happy, and if they don’t, it is probably not the right company for you and it is worth exploring opportunities outside the organization,” she explains.

The company is too small

The company that you work for is too small to accommodate promotions. “The size of an organisation also plays a role in promotion. If the company size is relatively small, you can’t have everyone being promoted frequently.

Lack of skills

Another reason could be that the employee is not quite ready for a step up and this happens despite getting the necessary training and mentoring.

An inability to display the necessary skills to do the job can definitely keep you away from a promotion. You many also lack the soft skills necessary to do the job. Missing on both the fronts will keep you away from going up.

The organisation may be the problem

Even if you meet all the criteria but still don’t land a better position at work, the company you work for could be the problem or it may be your boss. S/he may be too insecure to promote you or it could be out of sheer malice. In such a case there is not much you can do. “If an employee is overlooked for a promotion multiple times, it may be time to look for a new employer,” as Athawale puts it.

source: http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirate ... 7-1.523624