Signs You’ll Never Get a Raise
If you’ve worked at a job for a while without progressing to the next level, despite your boss’s many promises of possible promotions, you may start to feel like you’re actually being pulled. Maybe your boss just wants to get more work out of you with the promise of a (non-existent) reward; or maybe they don’t really get promoted and don’t want to admit it.
“Most of the time it’s not malicious,” says Amy Gallo , career coach and author of Building Relationships: How to Work With Anyone (Even Difficult People) . Instead, it could be that your boss is not conflict-prone, has problems with bureaucracy, doesn’t have a clear idea of the next steps, or doesn’t have the ability to get it done, or for a number of other reasons. . However, even if their intentions are not malicious, “it could leave you in a situation that ultimately isn’t what you want,” Gallo said.
But how to understand that the promised promotion is unlikely to ever happen?
Vague promises vs. specific promotion timelines
If your boss’s promises are very vague, there’s a good chance they’re telling you what you want to hear, rather than formulating specific deadlines or a plan to meet them. However, “we can get so focused on the outcome that we forget our own judgment of what we know about their past behavior,” Gallo said.
If your boss doesn’t specify what promotion he has in mind, or the exact steps that will get you there, chances are it won’t happen anytime soon, if at all.
“Your boss needs to be willing to pay a price for your advancement,” said Daphne Jones , career breakthrough coach and author of Win When They Say You Can’t: Break Barriers and Keep Boosting Your Success . Your boss will have to do a lot of work on your behalf in order to get a promotion, which means that if he does not give details, then most likely it is just talk and nothing more. Their intentions may be good, but that’s not enough.
Consider Your Boss’s Behavior Pattern
Think about your boss’s general behavior pattern because, as Jones said, “behavior never lies.”
If your boss is responsive, involved, and can be counted on to keep his promises, he probably means what he says. They may not make the final decision about promotions, but they can give you advice on what you need to do and how to do it.
If your boss is overwhelmed but seems to be responsive to nudges, this may indicate that he has good intentions, but in order for the promotion to become a reality, you will need to take a more active role in advocating for your interests. Sometimes it can be as simple as telling your boss what you want your next career steps to be and asking for a specific plan to reach that goal. “Our job is to promote us and communicate our desires,” Jones said.
A big warning sign is that your boss is actively encouraging you to take on additional responsibilities that may be higher than your current position, and it’s not clear exactly where this might lead and when. If so, “they’re users,” Jones said. This is the type of boss who is very happy that you work hard, often at a level above your current position, only to have no intention of getting you promoted.
Set time limit
A good strategy for dealing with a stagnant situation at work is to set a time limit after which you resort to the next steps, which could include reaching out to your network, updating your resume, or starting a formal job search. The main benefit of the time limit is that “you regain a sense of control that helps you deal with the stress of this situation,” Gallo said.
Whatever you do, don’t get discouraged and don’t give up, as it can make a bad situation worse. “You want to remain calm and execute,” Jones said. “Don’t take it personally; be strategic about it.”
Your experience with your boss could be a one-time incident, an example of a failed attempt at a good company, or a sign of a toxic corporate culture. Either way, you want to be able to get out of the situation in a way that allows you to move forward towards your goals.