‘Quiet Promotions’ Leave Workers Behind

Bad behavior

Businesses are adding extra workloads and responsibilities to their employees without commensurate compensation or recognition — and it’s beginning to backfire. The trend not only lowers morale and productivity, but has created a perception that the corporate world is a sadistic institution.

Netizens are calling it “quiet promotion,” which feels like a lousy euphemism for worker abuse. One day, a worker’s primary responsibility is to study market trends of a certain niche industry. The following week, the coverage broadens to the entire segment, and the employee suddenly has to manage a team of five — with no change in title or pay.

Gen Z professionals are often the victims of this trend. Eager to move up the corporate ladder, they willingly accept more responsibilities, only to be burned out and suddenly file for resignation a few months later. 

Businesses then have to restart the process of hiring, onboarding, and training, instead of moving forward. It’s a massive waste of time and resources, and businesses are losing revenues and falling behind because of their own doing. 

The process

Gradually increasing employee workloads is a common practice among firms to assess whether a worker is fit for a promotion. The higher-ups want to see if this employee can perform at the next level before they formally change their title and increase their pay.

Corporations often ask the concerned employee to lead a small project or accomplish specific deliverables that belong to their immediate supervisor’s area of responsibility. The business slowly dips the staff into the water to see how they respond. 

This usually lasts for a few months. However, budget constraints have prompted some firms to extend the process for six months to a year, maybe even longer. Strapped for cash, they choose to engage in sneak thievery by overloading their staff with more responsibilities without subsequent compensation. 

Pass it on

Businesses must diligently study the nuances of their workers’ daily workflows to avoid falling into this behavior. Employees, whether entry-level, associates, or even managerial, never escape the burdens of administrative tasks as they move up the ladder — and this is where the rub lies.

Outsourcing tasks such as data entry, document management, social media monitoring, and more is the best way to iron out workflows, enabling staff to focus on high-value assignments. Small and medium-sized firms need not worry about incurring excessive costs, as outsourcing these tasks offshore won’t significantly impact their finances.

With administrative tasks out of the way, the firm can proceed with the promotion process in an ethical and objective manner. On the other hand, candidates can focus on the core responsibilities of their future role. Risks of burning out are eliminated, given a newfound transparency between the two parties. All that’s left is progress and a formidable partnership between employees and the corporation. 

The question for your business

What is your company’s employee promotion process?

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