Something about your job makes you feel bad, but you can’t put your finger on it. Your days are busy and your decisions have more weight. However, looking at the positions and pay, nothing has changed.
You may be experiencing a “quiet promotion.” This is a sneaky workplace trend that restructures corporate staffing strategies. A 2022 survey by Jovesage found that 78% of workers experienced the phenomenon, and 67% absorbed the responsibility of their colleagues who died without pay. These numbers highlight the broad nature of this practice across the American workplace.
The situation may be difficult to navigate, but you are not helpless. Knowing when you are being used will help you ensure that you are well-known. And if it fails, you can position yourself for better opportunities elsewhere and avoid career stagnation.
Three signs you are in a “quiet promotion” situation
How can you tell if you are experiencing legitimate quiet promotions or if you are stepping up as a team player?
Career coaches point to these warning signs:
1. I work as a manager without a manager’s salary
Linda Tayonemoto, a Las Vegas-based corporate career coach and founder of Financial Wellness Resources, is right for your money.
Manager-level duties often creep up gradually. We may begin conducting interviews, guiding the project, or determining the budgets that the supervisor has used to handle.
remove: When more demanding jobs became everyday expectations rather than occasional favors, you crossed into quiet promotional realms.
2. Job descriptions have not been changed, but workloads have doubled
“One of the biggest signs of a quiet promotion is taking on the responsibility of a colleague leaving the job without pay increases or title changes,” says Dr. Kyle Elliott, a career coach at a San Francisco-based technology executive.
He recalls a client whose boss, who is the vice president, left the company. Instead of hiring a replacement, leadership transferred all these responsibilities to his clients, keeping them at the level of associate director without pay bumps.
remove: Sometimes, companies eliminate positions, but continue to work. The remaining employees then perform beyond their job description and absorb the responsibility that often leads to burnout.
3. You are expected to handle the project for a more advanced role
Dr. Elliot warns you to monitor growth opportunities and labeled stretch assignments. He shares an example of this red flag. “Engineering clients were assigned projects that were usually assigned to more seniors,” he explains. “Instead of properly compensated him, they used executive visibility as justification to withhold wage increases.”
remove: Does “growth opportunities” include doing high-level work without high-level compensation? You are experiencing quiet promotions disguised as career development.
How to negotiate how to get out of the trap
According to experts, here are some ways to advocate for proper awareness when you are in a quiet promotion situation:
- Document everything with hard numbers. “If you need a more salary, you’re leading the data,” emphasizes Dr. Elliott. It presents victory, including revenue generated, saved costs, leadership achievements.
- Compare your role with the roles of your internal peers. Dr. Elliott suggests looking for colleagues who have similar or smaller scopes but have a higher title or compensation. One of his clients ensured progress by showing that his supervising responsibility exceeded all his peers in his role.
- Have a business-centric conversation with the department head. Yonemoto recommends framing like this. “I love working here. I’m here (period). I’d like to talk about my title and salary in conjunction with the scope of the work I currently deal with. At the end (period), I did X, Y and Z.
Turn invisible leadership into career gold
“Recognition shouldn’t feel like a difficult battle,” Yonemoto says. If your company rejects your contribution or uses “no budget” as a permanent excuse, it is your signal to find an employer who values what you bring. “No one will fight for your career as much as you do,” adds Dr. Elliott.
Make use of the expanded experience when looking for a job. “Even if the title doesn’t reflect that, emphasize the responsibility you put into practice,” advises Yonemoto. It focuses on the outcome rather than your official title (e.g. “Turn the X Project team from 5 vs. 5 (dollar amount))). The hiring manager cares more about what you’ve achieved than your title on paper.
What is USA Today Top Workplaces 2025?
Do you work for a great company? Each year, USA Today Top Workplaces is a collaboration between Energage and USA Today, ranking US organizations that excel at creating positive work environments for their employees. Employee feedback determines the winner.
In 2025, over 1,500 companies were recognized as the best workplaces. Check out our overall rankings. You can also get more insight into workplace trends and advice by checking out the links below.
