How to Navigate Dry Promotions as an Employee

A dry promotion is a promotion that comes with a new job title and possibly additional responsibilities but without a pay increase. Whilst the promotion may signal an employer’s acknowledgement of the employee’s contributions, they stop short of offering monetary compensation that typically accompanies promotions. In 2023, 37% of firms gave out dry promotions, which is an increase from 32% at the start of the decade, highlighting how this recognition strategy isn’t going away anytime soon. 

In this article, we explore both sides of the coin when it comes to dry promotions, sharing tips on how to navigate them as a life sciences employee.

What Are the Pros of Dry Promotions?

Dry promotions, whilst not incorporating a salary increase, can provide significant non-monetary benefits to you as an employee. One major advantage is the enhancement of your CV, as with a higher title, you can gain recognition and credibility both within and outside your organisation, which can be critical for long-term career progression. When it comes to your future job search, having multiple job titles under the same company can relay both your commitment to the company and your professional growth.

Receiving a dry promotion can lead to increased job responsibility, which might offer more challenging and engaging work. These opportunities can lead to personal and professional growth, enhancing job satisfaction and providing a sense of achievement. Such promotions often come with increased visibility in your organisation, leading to more substantial networking opportunities.

What Are the Cons of Dry Promotions?

It goes without saying that as an employee, you should be getting paid in line with the value of your work. And in an ideal scenario, when your workload increases and you’re given a higher level of responsibility, your salary should also reflect the higher value you’re bringing to your organisation. 

If you accept a dry promotion, you may feel that you’re not being fairly rewarded for the value you bring. According to a survey, 34% of employees who received a dry promotion reported a decrease in job satisfaction and motivation. Once the satisfaction of a new job title to share with your LinkedIn network has faded, you may be left questioning whether you’ve been fairly compensated for your commitments.

Dry promotions may also contribute to a negative work environment. They have the potential to strain your relationships with colleagues, especially if they create unclear hierarchies or if other employees perceive the promotion as unwarranted. The lack of financial reward may also set a precedent that could affect the morale of your team, as they may expect similar treatment regarding their own advancements. In other words, if employees notice that promotions come without financial reward, they may simply stop pushing for them, and this can affect morale, commitment, motivation, and overall satisfaction.

How Should You Approach Dry Promotions?

If you’ve been presented with a dry promotion, it’s more than acceptable to first weigh up the pros and cons of the opportunity. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Can my employer reasonably afford to offer me a pay increase? If you work for a small start-up or for a company within the charity sector for example, it may not be feasible for you to receive a pay increase with every promotion. In addition, if your company is experiencing trying times, if the industry is slowing down, or if the economy is particularly unstable, some companies may also be unable to offer a financial reward – but this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t benefit from a promotion in some way.
• Have my colleagues been given a pay increase as part of a recent promotion? Is it the norm for people within your team to be promoted without a pay increase, or are you an anomaly? This could be a red flag, particularly if you are bringing more value to the team.
• Does the promotion come with additional responsibility? If your new job title doesn’t also bring with it additional duties, you may not be financially compensated.
• How would the promotion help me to advance my career? Think about how beneficial a new job title is to you. If your new title is one you’ve been working towards or could help to redirect your career, then accepting it may be worthwhile in the long-term.
• How else am I being rewarded by the company? Some companies may offer lower salaries but with a more attractive overall benefits package. For example, you may be receiving above-average annual leave, remote and flexible working, and excellent discounts and subsidies. Review your entire package and if your employer can’t offer you a pay increase, perhaps you can ask for an enhancement elsewhere in your compensation.

Ultimately, you should be seeking to find out whether a pay increase is reasonable and feasible, and whether you’re being fairly compensated in line with your value. And whilst money isn’t everything, if your employer is masking unfair salaries behind desirable job titles, it may be a sign that they don’t value and respect your contributions.

How Should You Approach Salary Negotiations?

When it comes to negotiating your promotion, your brag file and work diary will be your best friends. Throughout your time at a company, you should be continuously documenting your achievements, abilities, and growth. If you’ve decided from your reflections that you should have been offered a pay increase with your promotion, gather some of the most important pieces of information from your file and diary, and use these to effectively communicate the impact your work has had, and how much you’ve learned and grown during your time in the role.

If you can, use statistics to contextualise your impact, and graphs to help visualise the outcomes of your efforts. You may also want to refer back to your original job description and highlight all the ways your list of duties and responsibilities has evolved since you started and will continue to grow if you accept the new job offer.