Navigating Shifting Promotion Criteria: A Hidden Barrier for Black Professionals

In many organizations, the path to promotion often seems like shifting sands—particularly for Black professionals. Being Black at work can mean that what’s initially presented as a clear set of requirements can suddenly change. Unspoken rules, bias, and subjective assessments can take precedence when you least expect it. The lack of transparency and consistency around promotion criteria can impede career growth and reinforce systemic inequities. This is not an individual failing of Black professionals but a symptom of biased organizational practices.

Problem: The Moving Target of Promotion Criteria

Being Black at work means identifying the path to career advancement can feel like a guessing game. Many organizations fail to establish clear, standardized promotion criteria, leading to inconsistent application of requirements. Unconscious bias often influences this inconsistency, where subjective evaluations can overshadow merit-based assessments.

For example, Black professionals may be told they need more experience or certain types of projects under their belt, only to see others advance without meeting those same standards. These shifting criteria create a sense of uncertainty, making it difficult to advocate for oneself, meet expectations, or plan long-term career strategies. The ambiguity disproportionately affects Black employees, who already face a lack of representation in leadership and are often excluded from key conversations about promotion.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, Black professionals earned 24.4% less than their white colleagues in similar roles in 2019. This wage gap is exacerbated by the lack of clear and equitable promotion criteria, which stifles Black professionals’ career progression. Furthermore, according to Women in the Workplace 2024: The 10th-anniversary report by McKinsey & Company, Black women's promotion rates this year regressed over the past couple of years, revealing a clear systemic barrier in career advancement for Black professionals.

Create Transparent, Equitable Pathways

Addressing this issue presents a critical opportunity for organizations to build equitable and inclusive career advancement systems. Organizations can foster an environment where everyone knows what it takes to succeed by standardizing promotion criteria and making the process transparent. For Black professionals, gaining clarity on promotion expectations allows for greater self-advocacy, strategic career planning, and increased confidence in their professional growth. For organizations, this opens the door to higher retention, diverse leadership, and improved workplace morale, as everyone feels they have an equal shot at success.

Take Action: Standardize and Navigate Promotion Criteria

Are you an Organizational Leader?

• Standardize promotion processes: Implement clear, bias-free promotion guidelines that are consistent across the organization. Ensure these criteria are accessible and communicated to all employees, especially those underrepresented in leadership roles. Regularly review the promotion process to check for fairness, adjusting policies to mitigate bias.
• Increase accountability: Hold managers accountable for applying promotion criteria consistently. Ensure that subjective factors, such as “culture fit,” don’t overshadow objective measures of performance.

Are you an ally?

• Advocate for transparency: In your next leadership or team meeting, raise the importance of having clear, standardized promotion criteria. Push for an environment where promotion processes are transparent and accessible to all, not just those in leadership circles.
• Mentor and sponsor Black colleagues: Actively support and mentor Black professionals by helping them navigate unwritten rules and offering strategic advice to ensure their contributions are recognized.

In the meantime, being Black at work means:

• Seeking clarity proactively: Schedule regular check-ins with your manager to discuss promotion criteria. Ask for concrete examples of the skills, experiences, and results needed for the next level, and track your progress against these benchmarks. Keep a detailed log of your achievements, contributions, and feedback to ensure you can demonstrate your readiness when the time comes.
• Building your own network of supporters: Given the exclusion from informal conversations where promotions are often discussed, Black professionals can benefit from developing strong mentor and sponsor relationships—both within and outside of the organization. These relationships can offer insights into unspoken criteria and provide advocacy in leadership spaces.

Work Toward A More Equitable Future

Research from Boston Consulting Group shows that companies with diverse leadership generate 19% more revenue from innovation, proving that transparent and equitable promotion processes aren’t just morally right—they’re good for business.

Are you a leader?

Leaders may worry that bias is too ingrained to overcome, but change starts with small, intentional actions. Standardizing promotion processes and increasing accountability aren’t impossible—they’re necessary. By taking these steps, organizations can create an environment where everyone, particularly Black professionals, has a fair shot at advancement.

Are you Black at work?

It’s understandable to have hesitations about advocating for clearer promotion criteria. Many Black professionals fear being labeled as troublemakers or facing retaliation, and organizational leaders might feel that the system is too entrenched to change. However, silence only maintains the status quo. Even if it feels risky, advocating for transparency is a step toward fairness for everyone, not just yourself.

What’s Next?

Exclusion from leadership conversations and unclear promotion criteria should no longer be the norm for Black professionals. Whether you’re a professional seeking clarity, an ally advocating for change, or a leader reforming systems, intentional action is key to dismantling these barriers.

• What actions can you take today to create clearer paths to promotion for everyone?
• Have you encountered shifting promotion criteria in your career? How did you handle it?