Cisco’s CEO Chuck Robbins slams ‘stupid’ interviews for internal promotions—instead, he cares more about whether your peers think you deserve it

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 on TBPN.