Is A Promotion Worth Giving Up Your Flexibility?

At my place of employment, I am quickly approaching a crossroads in my career that may have a profound impact on my work life balance.

I’ve mentioned before that my current position as a software engineer comes with a great deal of flexibility - including my regular 4-day work week as well as the ability to work from home whenever I have the need.

So what is the decision that I see looming in my future?

In the time that I have been at my employer, I have moved up the ranks and am essentially at the top end of the technical career track as it stands today. While there are efforts underway to develop a more robust technical career track, I am facing the decision of moving into management.

Shudder.

When I first started working, I did not think that I would ever be interested in a management position but I am beginning to see some appeal into becoming a group manager - managing a team of technical employees. However, being promoted to a management position would likely have a negative impact on the flexibility that I enjoy today.

While not impossible, it is more difficult to manage a team of people when you are not in the office. Plus, we all know how much management likes to spend time in meetings and the common perception is that you must be physically present at said meetings. Compared to my current position, this lack of flexibility is quite concerning.

If you are faced with this situation, I think you need to ask yourself why do you want the promotion?

There are many reasons one would want a promotion, but generally speaking it boils down to the following key reasons:

• More money. When you receive a promotion, it typically includes an increase in salary. Who doesn’t like more money? As much as I like money, I honestly cannot complain as I earn a respectable wage right now and am not sold that the extra money is worth the potential decrease in flexibility.

• More responsibility. As you move up the ranks within your company, you will be challenged with additional responsibilities and expected to become more of a leader. Not being challenged at your job can make for a very long day, as it can be difficult to maintain a proper level of motivation when you are simply going through the motions.

• Prestige. People like fancy titles. When you mention that you are the Director of Product Development it carries a higher sense of prestige than mentioning that you are a Programmer - at least in some people’s eyes. Personally, I have never been all that interested in the title. My employer can refer to my job however they wish as long as I am compensated fairly.

Out of these three primary reasons to desire a promotion, I am interested in having more (or at least different) responsibilities and certainly won’t turn away an increase in money. The prestige doesn’t really do anything for me and would not be a deciding factor in my decision.

Are these reasons truly worth what I may be sacrificing?

The 4-day work week might be a thing of the past, meaning an extra two to four hours commuting to work each day. While it may still be feasible to work from home on occasion, I might not be able to do so with the same frequency. With different responsibilities, my work may not be suited to working remotely late at night so I can cut out of the office early to make it to my son’s ballgame.

On the surface, being promoted doesn’t sound quite as appealing when you weigh the potential costs involved. For the time being, I have not yet reached this crossroads and am happy with my technical position but this will be a decision that is going to present itself sooner or later.

Have you ever taken a promotion that cost you your flexibility?

Would you do it again?