Revealing outdated promotion strategies when climbing the career ladder
There’s no doubt about it—career progression is being redefined. Is it being reformed or just reframed to suit the same broken system?
It’s becoming clear that Generation Z is pushing to close the chapter on common promotion steps that no longer function for the benefit of all. While a small minority continue to rise through apathy and questionable practices, their admirers see it as proof to double down and encourage those with genuine ambition to blindly follow outdated techniques in the hope of reaching a position of recognition.
But what happens when those promotion techniques are flawed by design?
Let’s take a closer look at a popular LinkedIn post that lays out three steps to promotion and explore what it reveals about how workplace culture, power dynamics, and policy intersect.
Step One – Massage the Egos of the Higher Powers
When politics trumps performance
This step is more common than many would like to admit. Depending on the organisation, rubbing shoulders with the leadership team may be the fastest route to progression. That alone speaks volumes about the business’s ethical standards and the level of respect extended to the wider team.
In workplaces where an unhealthy ego runs the show, those in power are more likely to reward performative loyalty than capability or contribution. Influence takes precedence over integrity. In these environments, it’s not uncommon for individuals to use influence to climb the ranks, with little regard for the impact on others.
This is where structure by ethical leadership becomes vital
Where a business lacks clear, accessible guidance on how individual growth and career progression are achieved (ideally captured in an employee promotion policy), that gap is wide open for misuse. When development becomes subjective or dependent on proximity to power, it may be time for individual to reconsider their options. It’s also time for the business leads to review whether the process in place is doing more harm than good to the overall workplace culture.
A healthy workplace culture supports open dialogue. If it’s difficult or impossible to speak honestly with a manager about aspirations, or if the road to promotion feels like a political minefield, the system will inevitably fail. The absence of clear, ethical procedures makes space for questionable practices to fester.
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Too often, those taking the lead get sidetracked by what’s loudest, not what’s most important.
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Whether it’s part of your leadership development or regular ethical housekeeping, recognising the early signs of when a policy needs a refresh will support you in keeping your business practices clear, considered and transparent for those who are committed to career progression with your company.
Step Two – Complicit with Quiet Hiring
Overworking in silence isn’t ambition—it’s exploitation
We cannot ignore that many workers today are working beyond capacity. Stagnant wages, reduced teams and rising demand mean that taking on more work isn’t always a choice. It’s an unspoken expectation.
While stepping up might seem like a way to prove capabilities and commitment, there’s a danger in doing so without formal discussion or agreement. Extra duties taken on voluntarily in the hopes of career progression can quickly become part of your permanent workload without the recognition or reward they were hoping for.
Recognition of Potential Risks and Existing Responsibilities
Should the additional workload cause the core responsibilities to slip, that’s when capability concerns come into play. The possibility of a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) or other HR interventions becomes a reality. As many are already aware of the misuse of such initiatives, it is one way for a company lacking ethical leadership and good morals to remove a person who has taken matters into their own hands without direction.
Here’s where it’s critical to remember the signed employment contract. A legal agreement which defines the expectations that both the business and individual have a mutual understanding. If someone is willing to do more, there needs to be clarity and mutual agreement. Otherwise, goodwill can turn into resentment.
This is where procedures like role review, workload mapping, and performance recognition come into play. They’re not bureaucratic fluff, they are the ethical checkpoints. Without them, the line between being proactive and being taken advantage of becomes dangerously thin.
Don't Let the Workplace Culture Cracks Turn into Compliance Risks
Has something you’ve read touched a nerve or made you a little uneasy? It’s a sign that it might be time to Dust Off your existing policies.
A Dust Off policy review gives you a fresh pair of eyes on what’s currently in place:
- Checking for legal compliance,
- clarity, and
- whether your internal guidance still reflects the kind of workplace you’re building.
When extra responsibilities pile on without clear agreements, what starts as goodwill can quickly lead to burnout, resentment or worse, HR complications.
Take this as your reminder: Outdated policies don’t only slow things down; they create the perfect environment for exploitation to take root.
Step Three – Ask for the Reward
Don’t assume effort equals entitlement
You can ask, that doesn’t mean a promotion will follow.
One of the first things I learnt when studying contract law is the principle of consideration. There must be a mutual exchange before the agreement is made. Doing the work first and asking for something after creates what’s known as past consideration, which has no legal standing.
So, while it might feel fair to request a promotion after going above and beyond, if there was no agreement in place, the business is not obligated to respond in kind.
This cuts both ways.
It’s problematic when an individual bypasses their manager to seek favour with senior leadership. Taking on additional work under the radar makes it difficult to hold anyone accountable when the expectations aren’t met. The ambitious individual may have:
- misread a need,
- overlooked financial constraints, or
- missed broader strategic decisions happening behind closed doors.
Of course, it would be ideal for someone to recognise the effort and initiate a conversation. Yet, where the foundation is built on secrecy, assumptions and informal arrangements, it’s unlikely to end well. Bypassing formal processes is not a sustainable path to success.
So, Where Does That Leave Us?
It’s time to stop rewarding performance theatre
The call for ethical reform isn’t merely noise from a disgruntled workforce. It’s a necessary correction. When the only way to be seen is to shout, climb, or self-sacrifice, the workplace is no longer a fair or sustainable place to grow.
Where your policies are outdated, unclear, or inaccessible, your team is left to make up the rules as they go. That’s a perfect recipe for confusion, frustration, and inequality, none of which contribute to the successful growth of your business.
Policies and procedures are your structure
They aren’t red tape but a roadmap. Removing the ambiguity and being transparent about what’s on offer allows individuals to make informed decisions without being exploited.
As business founders, you can’t rely on gut feeling or put things off because they don’t feel “urgent”. By not taking the time to put a structure in place, the default becomes favouritism from leadership, informal nudges or unspoken expectations to manage career progression in your business.
Isn’t it time to take a closer look at your policies and take action? If you’re unsure of where to start, this is exactly what the HouseRules method is designed to address.