Has Your Demotion Left You Feeling Increasingly Demotivated? Here is How You Can Cope With this Unforeseen Change

The best news for a graduate looking for a job is hearing that they have been hired. For someone already in the field, a declaration that they have been promoted with a salary appraisal is equivalent to a great blessing and a dream fulfilled.

However, life is not all a slice of cake, full of sweetness— about half of the working force experiences a demotion at work.

Unsplash |Graduates are in search of jobs as soon as they’re out of college

Getting demoted is never on anyone’s professional agenda but rarely do people experience a linear upward trajectory in the business hierarchy. There are ruts and bumps throughout the road, and a few U-turns along the way may erase your progress.

What does a demotion entail?

A demotion is a degradation in the title or position of a person within a firm or a reduction in their salary. An Office Team survey revealed that employees might get demoted due to four reasons:

1. Poor performance at the job;

2. No improvement in performance after being awarded a promotion;

3. Organizational restructuring;

4. Workplace bias.

Getting demoted hurls a serious blow to one’s self-esteem. It arouses a feeling of inferiority among peers; to see colleagues experiencing a promotion in status while you undergo a downward pull.

Sometimes it leads to an underlying grudge with the management that spoils your disposition at the office and makes you demotivated to perform any further. But, at such a low point in your professional life, pause and reevaluate yourself to discover why you were demotivated.

Unsplash |Life tends to take many unexpected U-turns

Discovering the reason behind your demotion.

If you were demoted because you are performing below your potential, you need to buckle up. Improve yourself by acquiring personal development courses. If you are a late arriver at the office, that also pushes you out of the good books, so start being punctual.

The demotion may also be due to an alteration in the organizational structure. If your company has attained a new management crew, its time to prove yourself by remaining persistent and achieving their trust.

However, if there has been a shrink in the workforce, with people being laid off, it might be time for you to abandon the organization. There is a likelihood that shortly, you too may seem dispensable to the HR.

It is better that you critically evaluate your importance to the firm, and if you think you are a precious asset, then in a short time you may be back on your upward climb. If this is not the case, look for alternative employment opportunities.

Unsplash |Professional feedback from your superiors could be beneficial for you

If you are suffering from a workplace bias, it poses badly on the managerial class and you would do better to quit than get your hands dirty in workplace politics. The trump card is always with your supervisor, and it is no use getting heads on in a clash with them.

Before feeling dejected after a demotion, stop and acknowledge the fact that demotion is a common fate of many in the working world. Your professional life is thriving and has just experienced a minor setback so that you can take a breather.