"With the cost of living climbing and many companies planning to hand out uninspiring " peanut butter raises" this year, workers are scrambling to figure out what actually earns a promotion in 2026. And according to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins, the answer may be buttering up to your colleagues and getting their approval first. In his eyes, that's far more important than how you might perform in an interview. "Every day you're working is your interview for your next job," Robbins said last week."
"I think when we have two or three internal candidates for a promotion, the whole interview process is stupid to me," Robbins added. "We've been watching these people work for a decade. What are we going to learn about them when we sit down in a room for 30 minutes and ask them questions when we can watch them work?"
""If your peer group would look at your promotion announcement and go, 'that makes perfect sense,' then you've done your job, right?" Robbins said. "And if you can't look in the mirror and say, 'OK, those people, would they be happy, and would they believe it's the right decision?' And if they wouldn't, you're probably not quite where you ought to be.""
Rising cost of living and modest raises are prompting workers to prioritize promotion strategies for 2026. Company leadership emphasizes daily work performance and peer approval over short interview outcomes for internal promotions. Conventional brief interviews add little insight when employers have observed internal candidates' work over years. Promotability is judged by whether coworkers would view and support a promotion as sensible. People who advance tend to help peers succeed rather than act solely self-interested. Consistent performance, collaboration, and trusted relationships increase the likelihood of internal advancement.
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