What happens if you get demoted

While a few of the demotions were voluntary or attributable to company restructuring, 39 percent were due to poor performance, and 38 percent were due to an employee who failed to meet expectations following a promotion. More than 1 in 10 workers have been demoted at some point in their career. Here are the steps. There are often signs that your performance is not up to par, Britton explains. It could be that you failed to meet targets or quotas, that you had a breakdown in communication with your supervisor, or perhaps you received a formal warning.

If you are demoted, you essentially have three choices, Barrett says. Problems following company policy: If an employee is continuously struggling to follow company policy and is issued warnings for workplace misconduct, they may receive a demotion as a final warning before dismissing them. This demotion may be temporary until the company earns a larger influx of revenue again. Company restructuring: As a business grows , it may restructure goals and direction. This can lead to hiring more experienced professionals to cover higher level roles, which causes the organization to demote employees by redistributing and reorganizing their tasks.

Related: Chronic Complainers: Positive Steps for Managers to Take Pros and cons of demoting employees There are several advantages and disadvantages to demoting your employees. These include: Pros Pros to demoting employees include: Keeps the company financially stable without letting employees go: If your company is experiencing a significant and unexpected financial loss, demoting employees and giving them less pay is often more beneficial than laying them off, especially if you anticipate your organization becoming financially stable again soon.

Allows more time for the employee to focus on work-life balance: An employee may request a voluntary demotion because they feel their tasks are overwhelming and interfere with their personal life.

Giving them a demotion with fewer tasks or responsibilities helps them maintain a healthier work-life balance. You can turn a demotion into an opportunity instead of an obstacle. Here are several things you can do after being demoted from management:. One important action to take if you're being demoted is to find out the reason for the demotion. Talk to your supervisor so you can pinpoint exactly why you're being demoted.

This can help you identify areas where you can improve, which can help you advance your career and get your role back. If you're being demoted, it's also important to get constructive feedback. This can help you improve and get your position back.

If you would like, you can ask your supervisor for a thorough performance review so you can see exactly what you need to improve.

Think about your career goals. A demotion can be an opportunity for a career shift, so take the time to reevaluate your career goals and how they've changed. Specific: It's important to set specific career goals to help you stay focused on them and clearly understand them. Measurable: Be sure to include metrics so you can measure your progress toward achieving your goals.

Attainable: You can set realistic and attainable goals to help you stay motivated and encouraged to achieve them. Relevant: Make sure your goals are relevant to your career and improving yourself after a demotion. Time-based: Try to create deadlines or timelines for your career goals to help you stay on track toward achieving them. Another action to take if you're getting demoted is to make a comprehensive career plan.

Creating a career plan can give you a guide for your next steps after your demotion. Some key elements of a great career plan include:. Use documentation, such as emails with praise, positive performance reviews, and details about major accomplishments, to show that the demotion is not merited, and will ultimately work against the company's long-term goals.

Consult an attorney. If you believe that your demotion might be illegal, you have the option of consulting an employment attorney or your state Department of Labor to obtain a formal legal opinion. Whether your demotion was wrongful or not, when you apply for future jobs, you will need to be prepared to acknowledge the situation. Fortunately, there is no need to use the word "demotion" on your resume or within a cover letter.

On your resume, you can simply include the new job title, along with any responsibilities. Highlight your skills. Within your cover letter, you can emphasize any particular skills or accomplishments from the lower-level role. Prepare for the interview. A demotion may also come up in an interview; be prepared to discuss the circumstances. Do not bash the company or managers in your response.

One of the simplest ways to explain what happened is to describe the job as not being a good fit. Keep your tone matter-of-fact and emphasize any positive outcomes that may have occurred as a result, such as learning new skills or taking a class to strengthen your abilities.

Get recommendations. You might also consider asking for recommendations from your colleagues and networking connections. Look for the bright side.

Finally, look for the opportunity in this challenging experience. As with questions about your biggest weakness, you can use this as a chance to discuss how you've transformed and improved as a result.