Career Management Question

We can accurately say that, in most cases, the person who is selected for promotion is the best qualified person for the job.

True or False?

Answer: False. In most cases we lack sufficient information to say anything other than that the person who was selected is the one who got the promotion. In short, we don't know. The standards may have been skewed. There may have been little or no outreach. For any number of reasons, the strongest candidates may not have applied. The employer may not know the characteristics of a well-qualified candidate. Bias may rear its ugly head. And the employer might prefer someone who is a known commodity as opposed to the best qualified. At best, the selection decision is often an educated guess by people who are pressed for time.