How to Tell If a Company Promotes from Within

When you’re job hunting, it can be easy to focus on salary, perks, or hybrid and remote work options; however, it’s extremely important to seek out companies that promote career growth. While many companies may say they offer career mobility, the reality can be different once you’re actually hired. Here’s how to tell if a company supports career growth and promotes from within.

Carefully Read the Job Description

When you’re scanning job postings, look for clues about whether a role was created to replace someone who moved up. Phrases like “newly created position due to internal promotion” or “reporting to a manager who advanced from this role” are obvious signs.

If you look at a company’s careers page and notice that every job seems to be filled externally, especially mid-level and management roles, it might suggest the company isn’t investing in its current team’s growth.

Ask About Career Paths During an Interview

During an interview you’ll be given a chance to ask questions, typically toward the end. A great way to gauge whether a company promotes from within is to simply ask. You might say “Can you share an example of someone on this team who’s been promoted or taken on a new role internally?”

The key here isn’t whether the interviewer says “yes,” but how quickly and confidently they can name names, roles, and results. If they struggle to come up with an example or they try to pivot back to another topic, it could be a sign that upward movement is just a nice thing the company says on their job postings.

Research Leadership Bios

Is there anything a little research can’t do? During your job search or before an interview, check out the company’s “About” or “Team” page. Scroll through department heads, senior managers, and VPs, and check their LinkedIn histories.

What you’re looking for here is whether anyone in management started in junior roles at the company. Did they spend five or more years climbing the ladder? If you find that all leadership was hired from other companies it may indicate a lack of investment in developing internal talent.

Read Employee Reviews

Another great way to get a read on whether a company promotes from within is by checking out past and current employee reviews. Such reviews can be found on websites like Glassdoor, and you may also find similar information on social media platforms.

Keep in mind that particularly toxic companies may actually post fake reviews to balance out overwhelmingly negative employee reviews. In this case, you’ll have to use your intuition to determine which reviews are accurate. Usually, there will be an unmistakable air of authenticity to reviews detailing the toxic practices of a company. This may include false promises of an internal promotion culture.

Look for Development Programs

A strong internal promotion culture is often backed by internal development. Does the company offer leadership training programs or mentorship opportunities? If it does, it’s a good sign that they’ll promote from within.

You can also ask about this during an interview. For example, you might say “What professional development resources are available for employees who want to grow into leadership roles?" Once again, if the answer is vague or the interviewer struggles to come up with something, it could be a red flag.

Pay Attention to Onboarding and Internal Communication

During onboarding or your early conversations with the hiring manager and HR representatives, listen for signals that career growth is part of the company culture. Most companies that promote from within typically make internal hiring a visible, celebrated part of the culture.

If you already have the job, check out the company’s Slack or intranet (if they have one). Are internal job postings shared often, or does it seem like openings are filled quietly from the outside?

Ask About Lateral Moves

Upward movement isn’t the only indicator of career growth, and in many cases, employees can also move across teams. For example, an employee may move from the marketing team to the product team.

Employees may decide to move to another team for a variety of reasons. Perhaps they have a new-found interest in another area, or they realized they have skills that can be better applied to a different role. In any case, a company that supports lateral moves may be more likely to promote from within.

If career growth matters to you, take the time to research companies you’re interested in working for and look for clear signs of upward mobility. Remember, not every company that says they promote from within actually does, so it’s up to you to do your homework.

Rob Porter is an editor at Vault.