HPE CEO Antonio Neri reveals what employees should do to get promoted: His career advice for getting ahead at work

Career growth tips for employees: Employees who are hoping to move up the corporate ladder often look for ways to take on bigger assignments and get noticed by senior executives. But Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Antonio Neri says career progress starts with a much simpler habit of keeping your word.

Neri believes people should build a reputation for delivering what they promise before looking for their next opportunity. He also wants employees to speak openly about their ambitions instead of waiting for managers to figure out what they want from their careers, according to a report.

His advice comes from decades of experience at the company. Neri began working at Hewlett-Packard in the mid-1990s at a call center in Amsterdam. He eventually rose to the top job at HPE in 2018.

Want a Promotion? HPE CEO Says Start by Proving You Can Deliver

One of Neri's main recommendations is to have an honest conversation with managers about career ambitions. Employees should explain where they would like to be in three to five years and discuss the opportunities that could help them get there.

But he also believes workers must take responsibility for making that progress happen.

Neri told Business Insider, "Hold the manager accountable, but most importantly, hold yourself accountable, too, because it's a two-way street."

He suggested asking for developmental opportunities that bring employees into contact with colleagues and other leaders across the organization. Building those relationships can help workers stay on the radar when new opportunities arise.

That doesn't mean saying yes to everything. Neri advised employees to be selective about the responsibilities they accept and avoid disappearing into the background.

Neri said, "Don't overdo it, but also don't be quiet behind the scenes," adding, "Speak when it's necessary and then listen most of the time," as quoted by Business Insider.

Even with those steps, Neri returned to the same basic principle of delivering on commitments.

He emphasized, "But again, it starts by delivering what you say you're going to do," as quoted in the report.

2026 American Job Quality Study Reveals Career Growth Gap Among US Workers

While career advancement remains a priority for employees, opportunities to grow are not equally available across American workplaces. The 2026 American Job Quality Study found that only 40% of US employees had jobs meeting its quality standards, unchanged from 2025.

The study, conducted by Gallup in partnership with Jobs for the Future and The Families and Workers Fund, surveyed 17,874 US workers aged 18 to 75 in early 2026.

Why Lack of Career Development Opportunities Could Push Employees to Quit

Its findings also highlight the importance of career development in keeping employees at their jobs. Workers in jobs that did not meet the study's quality standards were 2.5 times as likely to plan to leave when growth and development opportunities were examined separately.

US Workplace Study Finds Employees Who Feel Disrespected Are More Likely to Leave

Workplace culture and safety had an even stronger connection with employees' plans to leave. Employees who strongly disagreed that they were treated with respect were more than three times as likely to say they were very likely to leave compared with those who strongly agreed. The figures were 32% and 9%, respectively.

The study also found a gap between employees in leadership positions and individual contributors. While 52% of managers and leaders had quality jobs, the share fell to 36% among individual contributors.