“Congrats,” my former manager had exclaimed as he sat me down. “We’re going to make you a vice president. You now get to oversee these two other teams as well. It’s going to be amazing for your career here.”

I was ecstatic that day when I walked out of his office. Becoming a VP was a huge, highly coveted step at the company. But in the days to follow, my excitement vanished. There was no new paperwork to sign; there was no announcement to the team or broader organization; there was no pay increase. Just a fancy new title and lots and lots more work to do. It finally became clear that I was the victim of a fake promotion—also known as a ghost promotion.

Ghost promotions aren’t a new phenomenon, but certainly more prevalent when companies are cautious about spending more money. According t

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