You may have received a “quiet promotion” if you feel that you are doing work that goes above and beyond your job title.
Most cases occur when a co-worker is on leave, or the company has laid off workers. If your team is short-staffed, you may inherit extra responsibilities from your departed colleagues. Ana Goehner, a career strategist, said, “You do the job of two people for the price of one.”
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Some of us feel like we’ve been promoted quietly. In October, JobSage surveyed 1,000 U.S. employees and found three out of four said their workload increased without additional compensation.
Getting A Quiet Promotion Could Mean Doing More And Being A Team Player
In corporate jobs, Ana Goehner said not knowing how to say no to additional work led to her being quietly promoted several times. She said, “As an over-achiever immigrant, I wanted to be a team player and get things done. I thought a heavy workload was the only way to receive a promotion. Stress at work took a toll on Goehner’s body and mind.
Besides emotional eating, she suffered from back and knee pain, stomach pain, and migraines and needed physical therapy. After speaking up about boundaries at work, Goehner decided to leave those situations. Standing up for myself gave me the courage to have tough conversations. The primary goal of a good stretch opportunity for your career should be to learn and grow.
Image Credit: Shutterstock/fizkes
Avoid Jobs That Ask You To Do A Manager’s Job Without The Pay Or Title Of A Manager
You might have received a quiet promotion when asked to perform much higher than your original role but paid the same. The situation can occur when individual contributors are given much of their manager’s work. They may be onboarding new employees, attending meetings with their manager once joined, or coaching low performers, for example.
A quiet promotion is ultimately a lose-lose situation for both employers and employees. Employees can set themselves up for failure if they fail to perform well because competitors will offer them promotions.