The promotion ladder within the system is not easy to climb, which is a real problem. The data for 2023 shows that the number of leadership positions in the system is quite limited, which is far from meeting the promotion needs of the majority of employees. In a medium-sized organization, there may be only a dozen leadership positions, while there are hundreds or even thousands of subordinate employees. This situation makes the path to promotion very difficult for most employees. To make matters worse, leadership positions are slow to turnover, and some key positions may not change until every few years or even a decade, leaving most people unable to find opportunities for promotion for an extended period of time.
Taking a ** department as an example, statistics in 2023 show that there are 500 employees in this department, but there are only 10 leadership positions. Most employees are in a position where they are unable to occupy leadership positions. Although a small number of people have been promoted through persistent efforts, their proportion is still very limited. The department mandates that promotions to leadership positions be made through competition, but due to the scarcity of positions, many people have to wait years before they have the opportunity to compete. As a result, the opportunity for promotion is like a mirage for most people, out of reach.
At the same time, there is also a lack of fairness in the promotion mechanism within the system. While it's a well-known fact that ability and performance should be an important criterion for promotion, the reality is often the opposite. The unspoken rules and networks of the system play an important role in the promotion process. According to an article on Zhihu, within the system, a person's interpersonal network and background strength play a key role in promotion. According to a 2023 research survey data, about 80% of respondents admit that networking plays an important role in their career advancement. This fully shows that promotion within the system is not only based on personal ability and professional performance, but also on interpersonal relationships and background capital.
For example, Zhang Xiaoming is a highly capable and skilled employee, and although he has always done a good job, he has never been able to be promoted. In contrast, his colleague Li Hua, although not so good in terms of technology and business, was quickly promoted to deputy department manager due to the support of her family background. This example clearly shows that within the system, personal ability and work performance are not the only considerations for promotion, and interpersonal relationships and background often play a decisive role.
A look at the data is a better way to support this point. According to 2023 statistics, more than 70% of promotions within the system rely on internal relationships and networks. This means that no matter how smart a person is and how good his performance is, without a solid relationship and background, his path to promotion will be extremely difficult.
The same is true for the education sector. According to a 2023 survey, up to 90% of primary and secondary school principals are promoted based on interpersonal relationships and power backgrounds. This means that even if you are a teacher with excellent teaching ability and excellent performance, if you do not have the corresponding political background and position within the system, you will find that your chances of promotion are very slim. The 2023 data reveals that the number of leadership positions within the system is relatively scarce, far from meeting the promotion expectations of most employees. For example, in a medium-sized organization, there may be only a dozen leadership positions, while there may be hundreds or even thousands of employees working underneath. In such an environment, it is difficult for most people to get promotions. In addition, the slow pace of turnover in leadership positions, with some positions taking years or even decades to change, makes it impossible for most people to maintain their expectations for promotion for a long period of time.
When it comes to promotion, relying solely on outstanding personal performance and outstanding abilities does not guarantee promotion, more often than not, it may depend on your network and background. For example, in the Zhihu article, it is clearly stated that those who passively wait to be found will have a harder path to promotion. This means that if you don't have a strong network and background, promotion can only be a dream. In addition, even if you have strong enough connections and background, it does not guarantee that you will be able to move forward. Because in the system, connections and background, although important, are not the decisive factors for promotion. In many cases, you'll have to compete with others, and only those who are talented and outstanding will be able to earn promotions.
In addition, promotion within the system will also be affected by some other unknown factors, such as leadership preferences, policy changes, etc., which may affect the promotion process. Sometimes, despite your outstanding strength and good performance, you may not be promoted due to leadership bias, policy changes, etc.