Quiet promoting: A silent workplace menace
What is quiet promoting, and why does it matter?
Quiet promoting is when an employer hands you more duties without a real promotion or extra pay.
- It often starts with small extra tasks that slowly become permanent.
- It can wear down staff, since the workload grows but the reward does not.
- It hurts firms too, because it drives disengagement and higher turnover.
Getting extra duties outside your job description is common at work. In many cases, these duties are filed under the “ad hoc tasks” part of job descriptions.
However, ad hoc requests are usually one-off jobs from odd events. When these tasks turn into daily work, staff may face one of the common issues plaguing workplaces:[1] quiet promoting.
So what is quiet promoting, and how does it affect staff and firms? This article answers those questions.
What is quiet promoting?
Quiet promoting is an employer’s habit of giving staff more duties without a promotion or fair pay.
For example, a boss might give a medical encoder the added job of managing the database. It may relate to their main role. Still, managing databases is really the job of RHIAs and RHITs.
Quiet promoting is the latest trend of adding the word “quiet” to borderline passive-aggressive workplace behaviors. It sits alongside other toxic workplace behaviors that quietly harm teams.
Like quiet quitting and quiet constraint, quiet promoting is not new. Instead, it is an old problem with a fresh name.
A job survey by JobSage, an employee transparency platform, found that 78% of the surveyed employees had faced quiet promotion.
Among them, 67% got more work after another worker left. In addition, the survey showed the industries where quiet promoting is most common:
- Art and design (89%)
- Hospitality (89%)
- Food services (88%)
- Government (88%)
- Education (81%)
In a way, quiet promoting is the opposite of quiet quitting. Here, staff do not coast to avoid getting fired. Instead, employers pile on work and still hold back a promotion.
Telltale signs of quiet promoting
Still, it can be hard to tell quiet promoting from real prep for a promotion. After all, both start the same way, since staff simply get more duties.
Because of this, workers may not notice they are being quietly promoted. So watch for these common signs:
- Being asked to handle duties beyond your position
- Having much more work than coworkers with the same title
- Taking over the duties of a coworker who resigned
- Feeling used when asked to take on more tasks
- Knowing the company will suffer if you say no to more work
Still, these are just symptoms, not proof of quiet promotion. As said earlier, real promotions and quiet promotions look alike at first. The only difference is whether the employer follows through with a real promotion.
What causes quiet promoting?
Many events can trigger quiet promotions. For example, managers often add work when others go on leave. They also do it while they look for a replacement for someone who quit.
Over time, staff may notice that their “temporary” extra duties never end. While some quiet promotions are unplanned, many come from undesirable working conditions.
Some employers try to cut salary costs this way. So they give one worker the load of two. As a result, they can take advantage of staff who want to move up.
The same JobSage survey found that 68% of staff actively seek more duties in hopes of a promotion. However, only 22% said they refuse attempts to be quietly promoted.
These numbers set a bad precedent. Because of this, some employers keep getting away with quiet promoting.
How does quiet promoting affect employees?
Quiet promoting can harm both workers and the firm. More duties without more pay can make employees feel neglected[2] and unvalued.
Neglect drives down employee engagement. As a result, it can raise turnover, which hurts the firm’s name and bottom line. For more on the causes, see these common employee turnover reasons.
How to deal with quiet promotion
Quiet promotions are often a bad deal for staff. Still, workers do not have to accept it. So follow these steps to cope with quiet promotion at work.
1. Evaluate the situation
First, look closely at where you stand. It helps to check similar job listings. Then compare their duties and pay with your own. This way, you can tell if you face quiet promoting or a real path up.
2. Document everything
Next, list every task you do at work, both in and beyond your role. Also note the results of your effort. Record any praise from colleagues or bosses.
3. Fill in possible gaps
Go back to those job listings and ask why your boss may hold back. It may be a skills gap. In that case, training and certificates can build a stronger case for your promotion.
4. Time your request
Decide the best moment to raise this with your boss. For example, you can align it with a yearly review. You can also wait until you wrap up a big project. In addition, weigh the firm’s current finances and adjust your timing.
5. Ask for a promotion
Then decide what you want. For example, it may be a promotion or a raise that matches your added work. So take time to plan how you will make the ask.
6. Take your experience elsewhere
Finally, you may hear “no” after asking for fair pay or a new title. If so, it may be time to look elsewhere.
Use your added duties to your advantage, and show new employers how well you handled the extra work.
Frequently asked questions about quiet promoting
Is quiet promoting the same as a real promotion?
No. For example, a real promotion brings a new title and better pay. However, quiet promoting brings more work with neither.
How is quiet promoting different from quiet quitting?
They are opposites. In quiet quitting, staff do only what their role requires. In quiet promoting, employers push extra work without a reward.
Is quiet promoting legal?
In most places, yes. For example, extra duties usually do not break the law. Still, it can damage trust and morale, so many firms try to avoid it.
How can employers avoid quiet promoting?
First, track workloads across the team. Next, tie new duties to fair pay or a clear promotion path. As a result, staff feel valued and stay longer.
Key takeaways
- Quiet promoting adds duties without a promotion or extra pay.
- It often starts as “temporary” work that never goes away.
- Warning signs include heavier loads than peers and covering for staff who left.
- Staff can respond by tracking their work, closing skill gaps, and timing a clear ask.
References:
[1] issues plaguing workplaces. Liang, H-L. (2021). “Does workplace bullying produce employee voice and physical health issues? Testing the mediating role of emotional exhaustion.” Frontiers in Psychology, 12:610944. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.610944
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