Are there other people out there who don’t want to ‘progress’ at work?!

[HerculesMulligann]

I’m 43, working in a policy related role for a charity, earning around £40k per year. I’m pretty happy with my job - I have some responsibility and autonomy but not so much that it stresses me out. I feel I’m paid a fair wage. My work-like balance is pretty good. I’m been in roles at this level for nearly 10 years.

The problem is I feel like there’s an implicit, and sometimes explicit, expectation that I should be aiming to progress to the next level. Many of my colleagues on the same grade (aged 28-35ish) are keen to take on more responsibilities and get promoted after a couple of years in the role. Which is great for them, and I’ve watched a number of them get promotions.

I’m confident in my own decision to stay at the level I’m currently at. Any promotion would mean taking on a role that has less of what I’m good at (in-depth project work, writing reports, nice mix of processy tasks and other tasks that use my brain more) and more of things I’m less keen on (loads of meetings, ‘big picture’ strategic thinking, the stress of more responsibility).

I guess I’m frustrated at this expectation that everyone must want to progress, and that if you don’t you’re a bit weird. At my most recent performance review I could tell that my line manager (mid-thirties, well on way with high flying career) was just a bit perplexed that I wouldn’t want to progress. And just to be clear I’m more than happy to take on new things, am open to change etc, I just don’t want to move up a level!

I think part of the issue is that senior management teams are always going to be full of people who did choose the ‘progression’ route, and so company cultures are geared up to see this as a norm. Whereas in my mind progression is something that should be an option, not an expectation.

It’s been this way at all of the workplaces I’ve worked at and I’m wondering if it’s a universal thing? Does anyone else feel like I do, and if so how have you managed the expectation that you will ‘progress’ to the next level? I fear the expectation that I should progress is only going to get worse as I get older!

I am having to look for a new job for this very reason. My boss can't accept that anyone just wants to do a good job and go home, it's not enough. She's embedded this into the company culture too and it feels toxic.

I worry I won't be able to find a place where this isn't the case though. I don't think senior and ambitious people can understand the mindset of someone who is quite happy to just stand still. It's not enough.

Yup. It's so frustrating. I'm good at my job and I enjoy it, but I'm expected to put myself forward for promotion to do a job I know I won't enjoy or be very good at. I'm very happy to do training and get better at my job, but I want to keep it, not do something else!

I'm holding out, but I think I'll end up having to go elsewhere. It's a shame as it's a nice company.

I think that culture is changing a bit, but I do know what you mean.

If you don’t want to move up, I think you do need to keep learning sideways (as you say you’d like to do) so, a) people don’t perceive you as going stale and b) when you end up being expensive for your grade at 50 you are bringing added value.

Definitely. I love my job exactly as it is and I don't want any extra stress.

I feel the same. I have had 2 careers with long hours and I loved them but now I am happy to stay where I am. But I've been encouraged to take promotion or move into other positions within the company to broaden my experience. I don't want to! Two people who started after me were promoted to be my manager and new starters are being given more interesting projects and training. I know I'm being looked at and questions are being asked. It's not that I'm not loyal, I just want to stay where I am.

It's not just you
There's nothing wrong with how you're feeling
But there is definitely that expectation that people want to progress

Yep. I’m on my third ‘career.’ I had got to a place I was very happy with, been offered promotion twice and I refused it. However have accepted the third offer of promotion, solely due to the way it was offered. Started today and have massive regrets already. It’s not can I do the job - I can. Just I don’t really want to do it anymore. I get zero satisfaction from it.

Oh yes, I've been arguing this for about 25 years now.
Also, that not everyone can - or even wants to be - "outstanding" every day, every week, every month, throughout their lives.
I've tried pointing out that there are some people who are quite happy to 'come to work, do a good job, and go home', and that there are others who deserve a medal for actually getting to work , doing a 'good enough' job and going home, at various times in their lives with all sorts of other situations they are living with.
It is a poor manager that can't see it, but, sadly , I think there are too many poor managers out there.

Similar charity level here. I just say I am happy with the work life balance. It also helps (?) that I have health issues so no one asks. Agree sideway moves with a small amount of variation or progression are the way to go, to be fair I would eventually start to get bored if I didn't do this.

Yes. I'm happy being an "individual contributor" and have no interest in managing people. I have worked with people (at a big bank) who transferred into our department from other departments to "demote" themselves back to an individual contributor from a management role. Moving up invites stress and more hours. It never sounded appealing to me.

Me! I'm a primary school teacher and have been for 18 years. Tired of being asked if I want to be a headteacher etc. I don't even want to be SLT. I love the actual teaching bit of teaching, that's why I became one, why would I want to go down a route where I would be doing less of that and more of inputting numbers in a spreadsheet and shuffling even more pieces of paper about? No amount of money would tempt me.

I was in a similar situation before I had to take early retirement because of sudden health issues.

I think one of my managers told me why people in his situation disliked managing people who were not interested in promotion. He said I was difficult to manage because I knew more than him about my area of expertise, and he had no leverage over me, because I don't need i or want anything from him.

He was right on both areas.

So, opening poster, it's not you, it's them

Me too FlippinNoah.
There aren’t enough hours in a day as it is without having even more paperwork to do. Most of which benefits no one and certainly not the children.

Me. I'm slightly younger on a similar salary. I've done more responsible jobs for more money and find it hard to handle the stress and balance my families needs. I'm totally happy to do my job at my level, take on small responsiblities but not progress. My salary plus my DH affords us a nice lifestyle so I see no need to put myself under a pressure I don't enjoy .

Very much the same as you - public sector role, on the same salary.

I work 0.8, and leave at 2 to do the school pick up, and then WFH in the afternoons.

It’s the absolute perfect arrangement for me.

I absolutely work to live, rather than live to work. I want to spend free time with family and friends, and not be, for example, logging on over the weekend.

I don’t want to manage people. I’m happy doing my job. I do it well. Why push me out of a skill set into a role that’s not going to make me happier or more satisfied, just to ‘progress’?

Luckily my manager seems to get it.

I'm exactly the same, although earnings are much less.
Progression would mean being 'middle management' and I have no desire to feel pressure from both below and above. Everyone tells me I would be great in the leadership role which is lovely, but I have no desire to be there. I'm happy leaving on time to see my kids

I know a lady in a similar position to a lot of you here. She got into a well known company for her industry and took a promotion and a side ways move.
Her bosses where keen for her to go for another promotion. A promotion would mean more money but managing staff and less flexibility than her current job. She decided no due to this as she does not want the stress. Along with this she has a few children in primary school. Her husband has a good job but can work long hours. Pre covid he traveled a lot as well with work.

I have another friend who in the past had a few stressful jobs. Due to a few personal issues they won't go back into full time work. My friend got experience in a particular area and then covid happened. They hope to get some pt work later in the year.

Another friend of mine worked up to X position job wise and now job shares because they have a young family.

One of my friends said to me in the past that work is part of life but not all of life.

Along with this her husband earns a good income and traveled a bit for work pre covid times.

My Mum was like this - she worked in the NHS was promoted to the point where the next level was Head of Dept - she didn't want it - she wanted to work with patients - HOD worked with planning, meetings admin staff - Mum got push back from Dad but she stuck firm to her desire to work with patients.
We had an employee who felt the same too - problem is when he was recruited it was glazed over - the warning signs were very much there if people had opened their eyes. He did not want to be a senior manager, so when he got the job he just refused to do the senior manager tasks, he had no line management responsibility, he was technically brilliant, so no one minded so much. Then there was a staffing issue and he had to step up and do some of the tasks he'd been avoiding - it didn't go well - he was capable and he did a great job but his well-being suffered - we acted as soon as we knew...we created a strictly technical role and offered him that but it was too late, he felt he had let us down, he left taking a 40% pay cut. We'd have him back in a heartbeat but this time for a technical role only - just like he wanted all along.
I have come across quite a few people who love their jobs, they are good at them and they don't wish to progress any further - it's fine - and if you are with a company that doesn't think it's fine - that's ok too - you just need to go elsewhere and find a company that aligns with your values and requirements.

Me too! I'm a senior analyst in a think tank, and I absolutely love my role. I've been at this level for maybe 10 years or so and have no desire to move upwards.

I work 0.6 FTE, fitting this within the school day so we have no need to use wraparound care. I have a great balance of work and home, a lot of autonomy in work and a role I really value. The pay is commensurate with the sector, so we're comfortable. Why would I give that up?!

Promotion would mean taking on more managerial responsibilities and fewer analytical/research work, which is precisely what I went into the role for. I've jumped sideways a number of times to stay at this level, developing new skills each time. I'm aiming to become a subject matter expert in my role but do have concerns about whether someone will call me out on this at some point.

I'm another one happy to stay at the level I've attained. I worked hard to get to this point because I knew this would be a job I could enjoy doing. As many of you have mentioned, stepping up from here means losing the core of why I enjoy my job.

I've had a couple of managers express surprise that I'm not interested in climbing further for more money...but like I've said to them - I have a job that interests me, stretches me without stressing me, the pay is enough to look after my family and I get to see my family. It would need to be a very special role for me to give that up, and so far, none have appeared.

Yes. Until recently I worked in civil service HR, and I managed a team of experts. None of those experts wanted to progress in terms of promotion although they did want to continue to increase their expertise. It’s perfectly reasonable not to want to continue up the ladder if you don’t want to!

I felt like that in my previous job - I applied for a sidestep to a slightly different area and "accidentally" got a promotion (there were two posts, my level and one above, but I had made it clear I was applying for the lateral move). It would have caused so many ructions in the team to refuse it as they told the other internal candidates that they didn't get it at the same time they offered it to me, so everyone knew and I felt backed into a corner.

If I could get in a time machine, I would absolutely go back and undo that. I rarely regret things, but I do regret that! The higher level involves a lot more management and less core task. I've been job hunting but it's a specialist area so not much around at the moment. I have also started retraining.

Yep absolutely. I'm v similar to you OP. I'm early 40s, earning early £40ks but pro-rata, as I work 0.8. Work in local govt in a technical discipline.
The next level up for me is a significant increase in responsibility and hassle for barely any more reward. The job did come up last year as old team leader was retiring and I was convinced/persuaded to apply. After the interview, I was told that it was as though 'I didn't really want the job'. Indeed. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

I'm well qualified (MSc and undergrad degree) and before I had kids I was keen to progress and moved quite quickly to the position I am in now, but I have now been there for over 10 years.

I still enjoy my job and the content of it. I like working and having a job for my own sanity. But I don't have any burning desire to be promoted.

Thanks for all your replies - it’s reassuring to know that others feel similar to me.

I will definitely take a lot of the advice on board re making sure I’m still expanding my skill set, taking on new responsibilities, and moving sideways and not getting ‘stale’.

I completely agree about the lack of incentive (to me anyway) to seek promotion. Out of curiosity I did recently look at the job ad for an internal role that was advertised at the next level up. I was shocked at how small the increase in salary was! For taking on loads more responsibility, stress and workload my pay would have increased from £40k to £45k. And I bet once you factor in the increased hours the new job would entail the pay per hour works actually decrease!

I think in my ideal workplace seeking promotion would be seen in a similar vein to having children. In the sense that in society we accept that some people choose to have children and others don’t. It would be really rude and narrow-minded to presume that everyone who was childless wanted to have them, and similarly in workplaces it should be the case that not seeking promotion in an entirely valid option.