5 Surprising Reasons You Didn't Get Promoted

The Human Resources Department at most companies works behind the scenes to hire, fire and manage information about the company's employees. In fact, someone could work at a job for years without ever having much contact with Human Resources aside from when they were first hired. Even though you may not see them, they are still hard at work making sure that things run smoothly.

When hiring new talent or considering promoting a current employee, hiring managers have to have their choices approved by Human Resources, who screens the candidate to make sure that they are a good match for the company. What they don't tell you is that often, the reason you didn't get a callback or a promotion is because of the information Human Resources finds out about you.

Here are 5 reasons why they didn't offer you the promotion:

Your social networking profiles - When you are being considered for a new job or a promotion, HR will search online for information about you. This isn't just a Google search. They have no problem finding your Facebook, your Twitter and so on. This sort of social media stalking isn't new, and you can almost bet that any company will be screening you this way. Even if your profile has never been an issue before, if you're looking for a promotion, you might want to review it to be sure you don't have anything posted online that you wouldn't want your boss to see.

Your appearance matters more that you'd think - It's just good sense to dress professionally for an interview. Employers want to see a well put together applicant. However, we are all shallow creatures and judge others by the way they look. This means that if you're trying to get a promotion or a raise, you have to look professional every day. Even if you are the hardest working employee in your department, if you come to work looking sloppy every day, you probably won't be suggested for a promotion.

Your Internet use is being monitored - Once you are comfortable behind your desk, it's easy to forget that nothing you do at work is private. Almost all companies monitor their employee's internet activities. In fact, when there is a problem with an employee or a challenge to their credibility, companies will review the employee's internet use as a first step. This can provide all the grounds the employer needs to fire you. If you want to be promoted, be careful how you use your work computer.

Don't date a co-worker - I know, life gets hectic and when you spend the majority of your day at work, it's tempting to date someone you work with. This is almost always a bad idea. The minute you begin dating a co-worker, your relationship will be monitored to make sure that you aren't using work time to hang out with your new person, or, when a supervisor begins dating at subordinate, to be sure that the activity doesn't border on sexual harassment. Even though some people may have found their spouse at work, it's a gamble. Dating someone from work will bring you to the attention of Human Resources - and not in a good way.

Being overweight can hurt your job chances - I know, it's just mean, but it's the truth. Many employers incorrectly assume that an overweight applicant will be lazy and unable to keep up in a fast paced job. Because weight discrimination isn't illegal, there is no reason for an employer not to take it into account. In fact, they could have a policy that says "No Fat People". Of course, they would probably justify it by claiming that they want to promote a healthy workplace. That being said, if you want a promotion, you can try to lose weight or combat it by putting emphasis on how active and energetic you are.



What do you think about these 5 things. Did any of them come as a surprise? Please share your thoughts in the comments.