Secrecy and poor communication surrounding the promotion process could be the reason why 60 per cent of employees feel they have to switch organisation to progress in their career.

Research by Investors in People (IiP) found that 53 per cent of employees questioned said their organisation’s approach to promotion remains a mystery and 77 per cent were unsure of how development in their role was linked to promotion prospects.

Highlighting just how frustrating the promotion process can be, the research found that a third of employees believed they had been overlooked for promotion in the past. For 55 per cent of these employees, the knock-back was compounded because the reasons weren’t explained to them. A further 18 per cent said that although the reasons were explained, they didn’t understand them.

Commenting on the findings, June Williams, director at IiP (UK), said: “This research clearly highlights the dangers of bad communication. Employers aren’t always in a position to offer promotion, but the way they handle this can have a huge impact on employee motivation. Bosses need to be much clearer about the opportunities available and create a clear plan of action to help employees achieve their goals.

“Managers should also remember that promotion isn’t just about new titles or salary increase – for many employees, being given new responsibilities is more important.

“What’s more, without new challenges, the temptation is to seek progression by moving on elsewhere. Not only does this cost employers as they spend time and money to replace them, it ultimately benefits the competition who are only to happy to snap up new talent.”

When asked how their bosses could improve the process for promoting people, 57 per cent of employees called for clear guidelines for staff at all levels. Individual development plans were cited by 54 per cent and 47 per cent pointed to a robust appraisals process as an important factor.