Have you received a ton of additional duties at work, but a pay raise hasn’t been discussed yet? The “silent promotion” is a typical occurrence at work, but how can you make it into a genuine salary raise?
How to Turn a “Quiet Promotion” Into a Real Promotion
Have you seen a recent increase in the amount of work you need to do? Or have you been invited to meetings clearly out of your pay grade? You may have had too many conversations with your supervisor where the phrase “it’s all excellent experience, though,” has come up, or even you’ve begun saying it to yourself.
If any of these warning signs ring true to you, you may have received a “silent promotion.” A “quiet promotion” describes a particularly awkward career situation that many of us will have encountered — when we are given more work and more responsibilities over an extended period but no sign of promotion.
This is similar to “quiet quitting,” which has come to describe what happens when you mentally check out of a job, fulfilling the essential requirements and nothing more. It also resembles “quiet firing,” which is what happens when your boss sidelines you by refusing pay raises or saying no to potential development opportunities.
In a poll conducted by the employer review website JobSage, 78% of employees reported receiving an increased workload without receiving higher pay, and 73% reported having a boss ask them to take on more work.
How To Turn a Quiet Promotion Into a Real Promotion or Raise
1. Analyze Your Situation
What additional tasks have you taken on, and why? Is it permanent? Do you already perform many of the duties that belong to someone with a higher title? Examine a few job postings for your desired position, and contrast the duties stated there with those you already perform.
Think about your payment. To find out what you may or should be earning, check out your network or pay resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics, PayScale, or Salary.com. Though every organization is different, if there are individuals with the desired title at your organization already, compare your job responsibilities and income, if possible, to theirs.
2. Keep Track of Everything
Observe everything you do at work, even activities that fall outside of your initial job description. Keep track of the outcomes of your efforts, including any good comments you get from your manager, coworkers, or anybody else you deal with on the job.
The more precise you can be about how your work affects your team and organization, the better. If it helps, consider it similar to getting ready for a performance review.
3. Try To Figure Out Why You Are Not Being Promoted
Review those job postings from before. Think of any reasons other than money that your superiors might not want to promote you. Then, do what you can to acquire the knowledge and abilities you lack to strengthen your argument.
4. Plan When to Request
Choose the appropriate time to speak with your employer. Is a scheduled review cycle approaching? Are you preparing to complete a project that would strengthen your request for a pay increase? Do you prefer to inquire as soon as possible? How is the business doing all in all? You might want to wait if your employer has made layoffs or lost a significant client.
5. Ask at the Right Moment
Plan what you want to say and how you want to say it, whether you want to ask for a raise, a promotion, or both.
6. Move Out
It could be time to search for that higher-level position you want at another company if you’ve requested more pay or a new title for your extra work and have been denied or if you feel asking is just pointless.
Prepare some tales demonstrating how the extra work you undertook has prepared you for this next stage in your career. Use your resume and cover letter to demonstrate how you already have experience with the job activities you would be performing.
Conclusion
Sometimes a time of change or uncertainty increases workload. Maybe after that, you’re acknowledged for your extra efforts during a meeting. However, open communication is essential if this doesn’t happen. You must talk to your manager about how you feel, but wait until you have everything planned out.
And if they dismiss you? At worst, you’ll have gained new knowledge and expertise that you can highlight on your resume when you search for a position that will accurately match the work you do for an organization that will value and compensate you.
About the Author
Simon Chou is the Vice President of Operations and Growth at BCjobs.ca. Over the course of his career, he carved a niche in brand development, marketing strategy, and online presence for startups. Prior to joining BCJobs.ca, Simon was an advisor for several global blockchain projects including Litecoin, NEM, and Ripple. In the past, he also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the healthcare space through SM Digital—a global marketing agency.
