Whether you’re in need of an assistant manager in housekeeping, associate director of sales, front desk supervisor, food and beverage manager or executive chef, promoting an internal candidate could be your best move. Not only does promoting from within increase employee loyalty, one study by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School found that external hires require 18 to 20 percent higher salaries than internals do—despite being 21 percent more likely to leave the job and 61 percent more likely to be laid off or fired. Yikes! If you think your existing staff contains a great managerial position candidate, ask yourself these seven questions.

Does she consistently perform well?
Management is more than making schedules, submitting purchase orders, and solving problems. It also includes leading by example. Your best managerial candidates are likely among your department’s high performers; those employees who have mastered the responsibilities of their positions, always meet expectations, and are committed to the mission and vision of your hotel, resort, or restaurant.

Does he put in the extra effort?
Does one of your front desk agents always get to work early or stay late to help out during the busy season? Does he skip or shorten his break when there’s an urgent situation? If the answer is yes, you may have a good managerial candidate on your hands—especially if he also volunteers to take on extra shifts when needed and is willing to tackle duties that are regularly covered by other positions or departments. This is the type of employee you’ll know you can count on when he’s given additional responsibility. 

Does she suggest solutions?
It’s natural to complain when things go wrong. However, an employee who is ready for a promotion to a managerial position is also going to find a way to prevent a repeat of the negative situation that led to the complaint. She’s also likely to routinely find ways to streamline processes and procedures to improve the customer experience at your hospitality organization—all without being asked to do so.

Does he enjoy sharing his knowledge?
Managers play an important role in the training of new employees as well as the mentoring of current team members. Anyone who is ready for promotion will take the initiative to share knowledge. This shows investment in the success of others and indicates he is likely to be a selfless leader. If there’s a particular employee on your team who is always helping out the rest, and who others often turn to when they have questions or need advice, he may make an excellent manager.

Does she ask for feedback?
Employees who regularly ask you how they’re doing and how they can improve are often promising managerial candidates—especially if they take the feedback they receive and use it to grow within their position. If she’s ready for a promotion, you should be able to identify a clear progression of feedback and improvement throughout her time at your hotel or restaurant.

Does she take responsibility for her mistakes?
Everyone makes mistakes—even supervisors, managers and c-suite professionals. However, no one respects a leader who refuses to acknowledge her faults and plays the blame game when things go awry. If you have an employee who always takes responsibility for her errors and makes a concentrated effort to learn from her mistakes, you should put her on your managerial candidate list.

Does he want to become a manager?
A reluctant manager can cause as much damage to your organization as a bad manager can, so a resounding yes to this question is essential. If the employee you are considering has never requested more responsibility, asked you about the steps he needs to take to advance in his career, or indicated that he is interested in future management opportunities, then he is likely not a good managerial candidate.