> Promotions don’t unlock new responsibilities; the new responsibilities and increased scope come first and then we recognize it with a promotion.
I think a big part of the problem is the difficult position managers are in when they consider promoting somebody. I've never seen anybody get demoted, even after failing to meet the expectations of a new role. They're either left in their role indefinitely, moved to a less important project, or fired. As a manager there's a lot riding on promoting somebody if my only corrective option is to give them up, especially since they're likely good in their current capacity if I'm considering promoting them. If I want to be absolutely sure, my least risky option is to have them do the work for a fraction of the pay to prove that they can do it. This also helps prove to their peers how capable they are so I'll face less backlash from people who would otherwise argue that they deserved the promotion.
If demotion was common practice it would guarantee indefinite accountability and increase managers' risk tolerance when considering whether or not they want to promote somebody. Realistically I think employees would leave in droves if a company started implementing this over night, but it does seem odd that such a potentially useful course of action isn't even on the table.
I think a big part of the problem is the difficult position managers are in when they consider promoting somebody. I've never seen anybody get demoted, even after failing to meet the expectations of a new role. They're either left in their role indefinitely, moved to a less important project, or fired. As a manager there's a lot riding on promoting somebody if my only corrective option is to give them up, especially since they're likely good in their current capacity if I'm considering promoting them. If I want to be absolutely sure, my least risky option is to have them do the work for a fraction of the pay to prove that they can do it. This also helps prove to their peers how capable they are so I'll face less backlash from people who would otherwise argue that they deserved the promotion.
If demotion was common practice it would guarantee indefinite accountability and increase managers' risk tolerance when considering whether or not they want to promote somebody. Realistically I think employees would leave in droves if a company started implementing this over night, but it does seem odd that such a potentially useful course of action isn't even on the table.