Would you quit your job right after your company promoted you?
According to a new study by the ADP Research Institute, some 29 percent of workers would answer “yes” to that question. (The study drew its data from 1 million workers at companies with at least 1,000 employees, from 2019 through 2022.)
“Within a month after their first promotion, 29 percent of people had left their employer,” the report added. “Had these people not been promoted, more of them might have stayed—only 18 percent would have moved on, according to our estimate. Promotion, in other words, led to a nearly two-thirds increase in the risk a person would leave.”
Why does promotion trigger this kind of flight? That’s a vexing question. “These data suggest that landing a promotion gives a person a leg up in their search for work outside their current employer,” the report suggested. “But they’re also consistent with another workplace phenomenon: People who are given more responsibility without adequate preparation, compensation, or resources could become more likely to quit.”
It’s reminiscent of the Peter Principle, which suggests that, in any hierarchy, every employee will rise to the level of their incompetence. If an employee lands in a role they’re not prepared for, many will do their best to compensate through learning and adaptation—but a not-insignificant percentage might quit. The ADP report found that those who stuck with their new, higher role for a few months would be far less likely to leave.
The study’s time period also overlaps with the so-called Great Resignation, when demand for talent (including tech talent) compelled many employees to leave their current jobs in search of better opportunities. According to Dice’s most recent Sentiment Report, 52 percent of respondents were likely to switch jobs within the next 12 months, up from 44 percent the previous year. Tech professionals with in-demand skills know they have a variety of opportunities in multiple industries, from retail to manufacturing and finance.
From a management perspective, this kind of data presents a significant challenge. Retention isn’t just a matter of paying tech professionals more (or giving them superior benefits) and hoping they stick around. Transparency and communication can ensure that employees feel comfortable in their roles, especially if they’ve just been promoted; and if they need something like additional training, you’ll know about it soon enough to potentially prevent an exodus.
