Did you promote one of your best employees and want to share the exciting news in a promotion announcement email?
These emails are different from other company memos. You may need to do some research and editing before you hit send. Read on to learn what goes into a good promotion announcement.
Consider Other Promotion Announcement Options
Before you start writing a promotion announcement email, consider other options. In many cases, an internal email is the best way to let others know of the promotion.
You may want to announce the promotion in person. This is useful if your business is still small, and you only have a few employees. Also, consider an in-person announcement to the team your employee will be leaving if they’re moving to a different team or department.
If you have a large company and are promoting someone to an executive role, you may want to write a public announcement. You can still send a promotion announcement to staff, but make sure you cover all your bases.
Set Up the Email Professionally
When sharing a promotion announcement via email, you should start with a good subject line that gets to the point. An easy option is to include the employee’s name and their new position.
Be sure to also address the recipients directly in your email. If you’re sending one email to an entire organization, you can say something like “Dear All” or “Dear [insert company name] Employees.”
Look at your list of recipients to decide how you want to address them.
Introduce the Employee
After you address the recipients, introduce the employee receiving the promotion. Share what their old role was and what their new role will be. You may want to explain the new role in-depth, especially if it’s something most employees won’t know.
Mention what helped the employee earn the promotion. Maybe they’ve been with your company for years, and they’ve been loyal the entire time.
If the employee has any relevant degrees or other credentials, include those. You can use that to further congratulate the employee on their accomplishments. Then, everyone can learn more about the person and their experience.
Share More Details
After you introduce the employee, you may want to share more information. Include when the employee will start their new role and what that will entail. If you developed a new role for them, consider sharing some of the tasks they will perform.
You may also want to cover the reason why they earned the promotion. Maybe they did very well in their prior role and were looking to grow. Perhaps you knew they could reach their full potential by doing a different job.
At the end of the message, invite the recipients to congratulate the employee.
Keep it Short
One of the most important tips for how to write a promotion announcement email is to keep things short. You want to share what the employee has done to get where they are, but you don’t need to go into too much detail.
Those reading the email may not want to read a long notice about someone’s promotion. The shorter you can keep your email, the more likely people will be to read it all.
If the email is a bit longer, consider bolding important details, such as the promotion itself. Then, people will still catch the announcement in their inbox. You won’t have to worry about anyone missing the promotion and wondering why their coworker switched offices.
Ensure the Information is Accurate
You may want to send the email draft to the employee getting the promotion. They can go over it and make sure you wrote the correct dates and other details. If you don’t want the employee to see the email before you send it, you can also ask their current supervisor to review the text.
Go over interview files for the promotion. If there wasn’t an internal interview, you can review the interview from when the employee first started. Their resume has details on where they went to school or where they worked before.
Sending an email with inaccurate information can make your company look bad. You may also change how other employees view the employee who earned the promotion. The last thing you want is to congratulate someone with inaccurate facts.
Stay Professional
Another vital step in how to announce a promotion via email is to stay professional. You should be excited to share the promotion, but don’t get too personal. Keep the details you share related to work, unless the worker is okay with you sharing something else.
Use a professional, positive tone when choosing which words and phrases to use. Even if you’re their current supervisor and will miss them, make them and others feel good about the change.
A professional tone is more appropriate for the workplace. People will respect you and your email writing much more. You can always use a casual tone when talking to the promoted employee in person.
Share Contact Information
It’s helpful to include contact information in case people have questions. Include your own contact information, such as your email, phone number and office number.
Also include contact information for the employee receiving the promotion. An email or phone number will make it easier for people to share their excitement.
If you know who will be taking over the person’s old role, include contact details for that employee as well. This helps ensure a smooth transition.
Edit and Proofread
Before you send the promotion email, you should edit and proofread it at least once. You may even want to have someone else look everything over. It will reduce the chances of missing spelling or grammar mistakes. If you can’t find someone to read the email, step away from it for a while. Come back to the text with fresh eyes.
Although you may get everything correct on the first draft, it never hurts to double-check your writing.
Decide When to Send the Promotion Announcement
Even the best promotion announcement email examples won’t cover when to send them. You should think about the best time to send the email before the employee starts their new job.
However, you might not want to send the email too far in advance. Consider sending the announcement a week or so before they start the promotion. That will give everyone a chance to congratulate their colleague.
Try to avoid sending the email late in the afternoon. People may not be paying as much attention to their inboxes and could miss the notice. Think about when you get the most replies on other emails and use that to decide when to send this email.
Examples of Promotion Announcement Emails
Here are a few good examples of a promotion announcement email.
Example 1
Subject line: Welcoming Jane Doe as Director of Content Marketing
Dear All,
We are pleased to announce the promotion of Jane Doe to the role of Director of Content Marketing. Jane started with the company three years ago and has been a valuable member of the team.
She studied marketing in college and has since obtained a certification in content marketing. Her studies have helped her and the entire marketing team.
As Director of Content Marketing, she will help develop strategies for the team to execute. She will begin her role on March 1, 2022.
Please congratulate her on this accomplishment via email or phone or whenever you see her in the office.
Sincerely,
Betsy Baker
Example 2
Subject: Dwayne Jones: Head of Accounting
Dear [Company] Employees,
We’re thrilled to share that Dwayne Jones will be taking over the role of Head of Accounting as of March 1, 2022. Dwayne has been with the company for five years and has helped shape the financial future of the organization.
He has been very good at analyzing data and interpreting it to help make better decisions for the company. We look forward to having him run the entire department.
Dwayne will be able to use his experience to further the company’s growth. He’s excited to use his skills to help the entire accounting team.
Please send him your congratulations.
Best,
Joe Doe
Example 3
Subject: Allison Williams – Sales Director
Dear All,
It is my privilege to announce that Allison Williams will be starting as the Sales Director on March 1, 2022. She has worked in the sales department for six years and has slowly worked her way up from entry-level to sales lead.
During her time with us, Allison has helped close deals with many customers. She’s also been able to bring in new leads and improve the sales experience for customers and her colleagues.
We look forward to following her lead as the Sales Director. She will be able to use more of her skills to help the team bring in more business.
Please congratulate Allison by replying to this email or when you see her in the office.
Regards,
James Adams
Example 4: Promotion Announcement Email Multiple Employees
Subject: Announcing Promotions for March 2022
Dear All,
We’re pleased to announce two promotions for the month of March 2022. First, Jeremy Doe will be advancing to the role of Store Manager.
Jeremy has been an excellent Assistant Store Manager and has helped his team. He will continue to use those skills as he runs the store.
Sarah James will be taking over Jeremy’s old role of Assistant Store Manager. As a sales associate, Sarah has always been on time and willing to help anywhere needed.
Please send your regards to Jeremy and Sarah as they begin their roles on March 1, 2022.
Sincerely,
Jackie Jones
How Will You Write a Promotion Announcement Email?
Writing a promotion announcement email doesn’t have to be complex or stressful. You should consider what goes into writing a good email that is short and concise. Your other employees will be able to read it, share their excitement and congratulate their colleague.
