Climbing up the corporate ladder

What does everybody want in life? Most people would say money, fame and power. But are these things durable? These are all materialistic aspirations and desires that a human being lives with. Instead, we should always strive to become better, stronger and tougher by the day. That is the only way to taste success in life.

Success comes with hard work, by taking up tasks that others are reluctant to perform, and by facing new and unknown challenges. People will remember you for a long time for the work that you did and the challenges that you overcame.

No matter what the field, the principle remains the same.

Every employee who joins a company nurtures the ambition of becoming successful and climbing up the corporate ladder. How? This is the big question, the answer to which most of us would like to know. Information in this article will help those who are seeking promotions in their careers and are looking to progress.

In smaller organisations, the employees may find it difficult to grow since there is not a clear and well-defined career path for them. On the other hand, larger organisations have a very clear and well-defined growth path for their employees.

“For growing in the corporate world, it is more important to have the right kind of attitude. You should be open to learning new things, taking on new roles and relocating to different places”

According to Chandrasekher Mukherji, group CPO, Srei Infrastructure Finance & Kanoria Group of Companies, there are two tracks or ladders of promotion via which employees can grow and gain success. The first is the specialist track wherein they stick to just one function, specialising and growing in the same. For instance, in HR itself, people grow to become head of learning and development or talent acquisition. The second is the generalist track, where people move from one function to the other, such as finance, marketing, sales, HR and so on.

Mukherjee says that it is more preferable to follow the generalist track of success because it offers the opportunity to learn a lot of things and there is a higher chance of getting into C-suite roles.

“I planned my career in such a way that I fixed my end destination and worked towards it”

“For growing in the corporate world, it is more important to have the right kind of attitude. You should be open to learning new things, taking on new roles and relocating to different places,” says Mukherjee.

As per Sharad Sharma, CHRO, DHFL Pramerica Life Insurance, promotions also depend upon the availability of vacancies in the organisation for higher roles.

“Employees who are seeking promotion opportunities should look at the internal job postings of the organisation and apply accordingly,” shares Sharma.

He also shares that it is important to qualify for the job the individual is applying for. After meeting the eligibility criteria, psychometric tests are done by the HR as well as some other employees from a different department to avoid biasness. After clearing the tests and the interviews, the job is given to the deserving candidate.

His advice for aspirants is that instead of wasting time browsing the internet to seek success, it is better to hear from the successful people themselves and learn from them.

Nisha Verma, CHRO, Welspun India shares with HRKatha how she planned her rise up the corporate ladder. She says, “I carved out the exact goal that I wanted to reach and the right time. I planned my career in such a way that I fixed my end destination and worked towards it. I knew that in order to become a CHRO it is very important to have experience in every aspect of HR, and in as many sectors and industries as possible. My coach and mentor told me that having a fixed goal is the key to success.”

“Employees who are seeking promotion opportunities should look at the internal job postings of the organisation and apply accordingly”

“I used to focus on and observe the successful HR profiles, and learn from their life and career in different industries. I concentrated on acquiring different skills and stood up for the right things in life. Apart from that, I spent a lot of time understanding the business of the organisation and made efforts to do things to enhance the business,” mentions Sharma.

“In my career I believed in performing my work well, gaining experience in different industries, and obtaining more relevant skills to enhance the business. You should have the right kind of attitude to succeed. No work is small. We should have the willingness to work hard anytime, anywhere. By gaining more experience, you reduce your blind spots,” says Mukherjee.