Seeing that my friends were in deep thought searching for other factors , I said : " For certain public appointments , candidates from marginalized communities can be offered opportunities as part of fair distribution of the national cake of plum positions ."
Angela interjected : " I have no problem with bringing marginalization on board so long as the identified candidate meets the job requirements . In case the candidate performs poorly at work , this entry factor will not become a handy excuse ."
I supported Angela while remembering cases when promotions had been dished out to unqualified candidates to appease local residents . The candidates hailed from the location where a sugar factory was domiciled . Although the promoted candidates failed on job performance , the residents were not called in to assist them . To avert incidents where residents chase away a " difficult " HR professional , it is important to sensitize the locals on corporate HR policies and practices .
Daudi , who had momentarily concentrated on watching other patrons enter the ‘ base ’, told us : " People with disabilities are easily accommodated on promotions so long as they qualify for the vacant positions ." It is a contravention of the Kenyan Constitution to discriminate against people with disabilities for employment purposes .
To enliven the conversation , I asked : " How about promotions based on religious grounds ?" Daudi responded : " One ' s religion is not taken into account in assessing the suitability of candidates for promotion . However , certain religious establishments preserve particular jobs for their faithful ."
Promotion Appeals
Angela told us : " Let ' s now consider the breaking of good and bad news to the promotion candidates . The appointing authority will issue letters to both the successful and unsuccessful candidates . I would recommend a meeting between the unsuccessful candidate ’ with the CEO in the presence of an HR official ." The purpose of the meeting will be to inform the candidate on identified areas for improvement in readiness for future promotions .
I nodded my head in support of the suggestion and said : " Such a meeting would be useful . But I doubt the number of Kenyan CEOs who would like to hold it . Since the final promotion decision is based on several factors , it would be difficult to zero in on the real reason for a candidate ' s denial of a promotion . The reason might aggravate the dissatisfaction of the candidate who was coming to terms with losing a promotion ."
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In addition , Daudi said : " The meeting may not reverse the decision especially in organizations where there is no provision for appealing on promotions ."
Angela responded : " Where appeal avenues are available , employees who do not trust the existing governance structures will not dare to complain . Neither will they take up the matter with the employment courts for evidential reasons ."
Most HR manuals are silent on what course of action unsuccessful candidates can take against the CEO or corporate board . Elsewhere employees who were not promoted have sought the intervention of the law courts .
As we stood up to leave the meeting venue , I suggested : " It is time our labor laws captured provisions on handling disputes arising from perceived unfair promotions . Also , HR needs to review existing promotion provisions to provide for credible appeal mechanisms ."
Samson Osero is an Independent Human Resource Development Consultant and Author of the book ‘ Transition Into Retirement ’. You can commune with him on this or related matters via email at : Samsonosero @ gmail . com .
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