The Real Reason Great Employees Quit -- And Bad Employees Get Promoted (2024)

FAQs

Why do bad employees get promoted? ›

Your coworker was just promoted, and you're left scratching your head wondering why do bad employees get promoted? It might not be your fault. Often toxic people are promoted to fit a company image or because they're really good at sucking their way to the top.

The next time a position opens up, they'll turn to you even if you're terrible. Why? Because most people aren't willing to invest the time and work it takes to develop leaders, invest in the right talent, and coach others.

If avenues for growth are limited or nonexistent, it can be a significant reason for employees to leave their company. Without opportunities to learn new skills, take on more responsibilities, or advance in their career, employees may become disengaged.

Good people want to do a good job. However, when the people in charge don't set clear expectations, they set employees up to fail. And that failure leads to employee unhappiness and a high turnover rate. Gallup studied 7,272 adults and found that one-half had quit a job because of a bad manager.

The Peter Principle is the inverse of the Dilbert Principle, an idea coined by the cartoonist Scott Adams for the comic strip Dilbert. This rule states that companies tend to promote their least-competent employees to management roles where they are least likely to interfere with production.

Business risks of promoting the wrong employee

Otherwise, the risks to your business may include: Negative impacts to the employee's team, including lower morale, productivity and damaged trust. Loss of clients, especially if they're in a client-facing role.

Bosses who value loyalty and obedience over competence and merit often encourage this behaviour. Although brown-nosing may seem harmless to gain an advantage on the corporate ladder, it has several detrimental effects on the individual and the company.

The boss may worry that if the bad employee is fired, he or she won't be able to find another job. If the employee needs the money to support a family, has health problems, or has recently experienced another life challenge, the boss may feel it's best to let the employee keep the job.

Here's a breakdown of why this tends to happen if you're a hard worker: High reliability and consistency: As a hard worker, you're typically reliable and consistently deliver good results. This can lead managers and colleagues to over-rely on you, assuming you can handle extra tasks or tighter deadlines.

Clearly, there is often a disconnect between managers and employees about what motivates an employee to leave. Often poor management, overworking, and the absence of growth opportunities lie at the heart of an employee's departure.

When the good people start leaving? ›

A common reason good employees leave is due to inefficient or unskilled management. All employees want others to hear and value their opinions, and they can become frustrated if their managers or company leaders are not open to their input.

6 key reasons why top performers leave their jobs include a lack of challenge, insufficient growth or professional development opportunities, lack of recognition, poor leadership, burnout, and a lack of trust and respect.

Impact on motivation and productivity

Impact on productivity research suggests that employees with bad bosses waste between 10% and 52% of their time at work. Instead of working, they spend time withdrawing, avoiding the boss, networking for support and ruminating about their situation.

The answer is a matter of leadership and management. While the people in charge of running the business and managing the staff are responsible for holding employees to a standard of behavior and accountability, it's just hard for many of them to confront in a healthy and authoritative manner.

While some managers help employees achieve their professional potential, others may present obstacles to career growth. Signs of a bad manager include micromanaging, being dismissive of ideas and failing to communicate properly.

In other words, while not all toxic people possess political skill, those toxic people who use political skill effectively in the eyes of their bosses are seen as better performers. And as we all know, those who are seen as top performers are more likely to be promoted.

One of the main reasons bad managers retain their jobs long after they've caused persistent damage is that most companies have weak systems for measuring manager performance. Accountability metrics are often too focused on high level metrics.

Hearing the news that someone else has been promoted over you is difficult to accept, but you still need to respond with respect and support. Relay that you are happy for your colleague and are looking forward to working for her, even if you're dying inside. Be the good sport.

Those who are promoted rapidly take feedback well and are able to learn from it and implement changes. Instead of seeing feedback as criticism of your work, see it as constructive—you'll be on the path to moving ahead quickly.