For most organizations, one of the largest sources of expense is related to labor costs. Companies are constantly trying to figure out how to get more productivity from fewer labor resources. A relatively new phenomenon is the concept of the “dry” promotion. This type of job elevation exploits an employee’s desire to learn new things and achieve higher status.
A “dry” promotion is when a worker receives extra duties or responsibilities without an increase in compensation. The person may receive other considerations such as an increased title, preferred office, parking spot, etc., but their salary or hourly rate remains unchanged. While many studies show that compensation is not the primary driver for many workers, in today’s high inflation economics, an increase in pay is certainly expected by most for doing more.
In most situations, you have very little choice but to accept the “dry” promotion. You may feel that this scenario leaves you with no options with which to choose from, but that is not the case. Let’s look at a “dry” promotion from several different angles to outline what you do have to consider.
• Say “No”: No one can know for sure what will happen if you say “no”, but you can consider what may occur. In the best-case scenario, you continue with what you are doing, and no one thinks twice about your choice. Unfortunately, this is rarely what occurs. In the worst-case scenario, you may find your job in jeopardy if the company offered the “dry” promotion as part of cost-cutting. You may also be tagged as someone who is not interested in moving up in the organization and, therefore, place yourself with an artificial ceiling for your “no” response.
• Accept It Temporarily: In probably the most likely scenario, you accept the “dry” promotion, but begin your job search. While there may be situations where a “dry” promotion is done to truly develop a person, in most cases it is done to save money, or with little regard for the work-life balance of the individual. In other words, your current employer is trying to tell you something about their culture, or how they perceive you by making this decision. Since you generally are given little choice regarding acceptance, you can move forward with the additional responsibilities while starting your job search. This allows you to have the value of being currently employed while out on the market and you may even learn a new skill that you can add to your resume as a result of the “dry” promotion. Since you never know when a “dry” promotion will be offered, you should always have your resume updated, so a job search can be started quickly with minimal additional effort.
• Accept It: Just placing your head down and accepting the “dry” promotion does not make you weak or timid. It may be in your best interest to take this approach. For example, if you are close to retirement, then starting a job search or risking your current position does not make much strategic sense. Rather, you should probably accept the “dry” promotion and make the best of it until you are ready to depart for retirement. This may also be the right decision if the additional duties are relatively minimal and will not result in you working much harder or longer.
• “Make The Best Of It”: Some people take the long-range and optimistic view over receiving a “dry” promotion. In particular, this may be the scenario for someone very career orientated, especially if they are early in their career and eager to learn. You can take the offering of a “dry” promotion as a sign the company sees potential in you and the new skills learned and additional exposure may lead eventually to a “real” upgrade, complete with more compensation. Also, just doing something different or new can provide some stimulation and job satisfaction (at least temporarily).
Unfortunately, a potential downside of both “Accept it” and “Make the Best of It” is that this is just the start with this employer and your acceptance will result in even more “dry” promotions in the future. Another concerning scenario is that you are not able to absorb the additional duties because your workload is now too high, resulting potentially in performance management for you.
Workers have so much to consider besides just completing the job that they are currently being paid for. An individual needs to be constantly prepared for any potential change, such as a “dry” promotion. While receiving this opportunity may be flattering, you have to determine what is best for you and your career.
As always, best of luck in your job search.
The following has been prepared for the general information of RochesterJobs readers. It is not meant to provide advice with respect to any specific legal or policy matter and should not be acted upon without verification by the reader.
Joe Stein
WNY Human Resources Professional
Feel free to contact Joe Stein regarding questions or comments at:
Joe Stein
