Deciding not to go for promotion: so far and no further

Given that the sample was comprised of managers and senior managers, almost all of the interviewees had been promoted at some point in their career. A small number of interviewees expressed no interest in being promoted above their current grade. Some members of this group felt that they were ‘happy’ at their current grade and were ‘not interested’ in being promoted.

I earn enough money, I’m at a nice stage in my life. I don’t need it.

(Female HEO/AP)

I intend to go when I’m 60 …and I have enough to live on and … so

things are okay. (Female HEO/AP)

Sometimes this decision was partly a reaction to a negative experience of promotion competitions (see above). Geographical location was also an issue for some, given that promotion would require a move to Dublin.

I’m happy in the space where I am. I’m happy in the geographic

location where I am. I mean, I’ve had the conversations with people

and I’ve had that conversation with senior management and I’ve been

encouraged to consider it but it’s just not for me. … I’ve made my

choices and I’m happy with how they’ve worked out. (Male PO/AS)

While more women fell into this category, it was not confined to those who had children.

Family responsibilities played some role in the decision not to pursue further promotion but did not emerge as a decisive factor. Some interviewees highlighted their desire for a good work–life balance, which was not seen as possible at a more senior level.

Others in the group were reluctant to apply for promotion because they did not see it as possible to keep flexible working arrangements at a senior grade (see Chapter 6 for a full discussion). For others, the potential timing of promotion rounds emerged as crucial in their decision as to whether or not to apply.

I think if it were any time soon, yes, well, certainly I would definitely

make the effort. I think, like, even in two years’ time it’ll probably be

too late for me because … I’d only be two years at the grade [before

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Similarly, other interviewees felt that it was ‘too late’ for them to pursue promotional opportunities, given their age.

I’m at a point in my career where I think that’s enough. I’m focused on

other things now. So … what I want to do now is focus more on making

sure that what I’m interested in and motivates me, that I get to do

more of that. And that I make sure that other people are inspired to

do the same thing. … I’m getting to the twilight of my career now, so I

literally … don’t want to have to do the hard work that comes with a

promotion competition to do something I don’t really want to do.

(Female PO/AS)

One woman felt that her transition to PO had been challenging in terms of workload and she wanted to focus on doing a good job at her current grade, rather than seeking promotion.

I wouldn’t [go for promotion]. … It took me too long to settle into this

PO thing and I’m just settling now. … As I say, I had a very bad start

and that project was just so huge … I’d like to do a good job where I

am. I’d like to leave some tangible outputs and outcomes and I would

be super happy about that. (Female PO/AS)

Others were discouraged by the long hours and commitment required by those at Assistant Secretary or Secretary General levels.

I look at my boss and I look at other A Secs and … I think their

workloads are absolutely enormous. I think they’re too big. I think the

responsibility is just huge. They’re 24/7, like you know, they’re

available – they have to be available day and night. (Female PO/AS)

I knew that if I got a Sec Gen job it would be more responsibility, etc.

So, after that I just kind of decided … I’ll stay in the Assistant Secretary

grade,you know. … Also, the political side of it is huge, you know, in

terms of having to be available to Ministers at all hours and everything. (Female PO/AS)

5.9

CONCLUSIONS

This chapter has explored experiences of the promotion process among civil servants at HEO to AS grades, placing these experiences in the context of their overall career development. Most had entered the civil service without a clear career plan and their ambition for promotion was largely shaped by their experience of work in the sector. Interviewees reported a lack of structured induction and handover as they moved between functions and grades, often leaving them to ‘sink or swim’ in adjusting to the new role. This pattern was evident across all four departments included in the study, so is likely to reflect an issue in

the civil service as a whole. The extent to which the lack of induction and handover potentially acts as a barrier to applying for promotion, especially among women, is discussed in the next chapter.

The decision to apply for promotion largely reflected a perceived readiness to move on and embrace a new role. However, promotion success was seen as reflecting the kinds of tasks and roles allocated to candidates, which was viewed as making it difficult for some people to obtain promotion. Interviewees had experienced a variety of approaches to promotion over their careers. They saw the system as largely fair but some were critical of the use of standardised assessments and were sceptical of the extent to which interview performance always reflected candidate skills. While the interview was seen as a crucial part of the process, many pointed to the need to place a greater emphasis on taking account of a candidate’s performance in their current role. The findings also highlight the potential for a more detailed feedback process for unsuccessful candidates.

The findings did not point to strong gender differences in perceptions of the promotion process. However, the implications of the approach used may differ for women and men, an issue examined in the next chapter.

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