Add another buzzword to the list of workplace frustrations employees say are leaving them feeling burned out and ready to quit. The latest is “growth theater” – performative career development without actual raises or promotions.
According to MyPerfectResume’s new Ghost Growth Report, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers say their career progress is just an illusion. More than three-quarters of 1,000 employees surveyed said they have been assigned new responsibilities without a raise or promotion, and more than half said they’ve been promised a raise, promotion or opportunity that never materialized. Those who took on extra projects in hopes it would lead to career advancement often reported getting no recognition at all.
“The illusion of growth is becoming a real problem,” said Jasmine Escalera, a career expert at MyPerfectResume. “Employers are assigning more work without reward, checking boxes on development without follow-through, and creating environments where people feel stuck and disillusioned.”
For employees, the illusion of growth can be demoralizing. For employers, it's a retention risk, said Escalera. Nearly 1 in 5 employees said growth theater has motivated them to look for a new job, and 27% said they have actually left a job that promised growth but didn’t deliver. Unmet expectations are a leading driver of employee turnover, said the report.
Job growth can mean different things to different employees, but the largest percentage of respondents define growth as higher pay. Eighteen percent said growth means better work-life balance, while 16% said it means a clear path to promotion and another 16% said it means leadership opportunities. Only 8% equate growth with autonomy, which suggests employees seek tangible rewards over symbolic ones.
Employees feel pressure to appear like they are growing in their job, according to the survey. Nineteen percent said pressure comes from their employer, while 16% said it comes from social media or peers, and 17% said pressure comes from both. When workers internalize failure to advance as personal weakness despite doing everything right, it creates a toxic feedback loop of doubt, burnout, overwork, and emotional exhaustion, said the report.
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