Avoiding a promotion? You might be ‘ladderdodging’

There’s a new word for those who are apprehensive or outright uninterested in career advancement. Included in a new book of 100 Future Words, “ladderdodging” is defined as “declining or choosing not to seek out a promotion or high-level role in order to avoid the added pressure, risk, and loneliness that often comes with management positions.” And it coincides with a real trend unfolding in the workplace. Declining a promotion was once almost unheard of, but recent studies suggest it’s now become the norm—especially among younger workers. A July survey by emotional insight platform Hint App found that 58% of workers would reject a promotion if it required them to be available after hours; a 2024 survey by recruitment firm Robert Walters found that 57% of Gen Z professionals have no interest in middle management; Deloitte’s two most recent annual “Gen Z and Millennial” surveys both found only 6% see leadership as a primary career goal. “Ladderdodging is essentially people at work looking at the offer of a promotion and seeing the additional stress and additional responsibilities that come with it, and saying, ‘You know what? I’m good,’” explains Rohit Bhargava, coauthor of Future W…

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