More than one-third of hiring managers have considered or already inflated job titles
Employers in the Philippines are being cautioned against inflating job titles at the risk of creating a hiring mismatch between skills and qualifications.
Jayson Mendoza, Manager of Human Resources and Industrial at Robert Walters Philippines, said it is crucial to maintain accurate and meaningful job titles to avoid negative outcomes for organisations.
"Elevated job titles can often create a mismatch between the skills and qualifications of employees and the actual requirements of the job," Mendoza said in a statement.
"When hiring individuals solely based on their desire for a grandiose title rather than their suitability for the position, organisations run the risk of experiencing poor performance, increased turnover, and wasted resources."
Job title inflation
He made the remarks after a Robert Walters Philippines recently found that 38% of hiring managers are considering or have already inflated job titles to attract or retain employees.
Only three per cent, however, said this worked out well for their organisation.
Mendoza said job title inflation is commonly seen in sectors such as technology, startups, digital media, marketing, advertising, and professional services due to the intense competition for talent and strong reliance on innovation and creativity.
Job title inflation comes as 92% of professionals on LinkedIn agreed that job title is important or very important when applying for a role, according to the survey.
"While job title inflation may offer certain advantages, it also carries the risk of causing confusion regarding the actual roles and responsibilities associated with these positions," Mendoza said.
Accurate job titles
Inflating job titles may also lead to disillusionment among employees if their job titles do not accurately reflect their duties or level of seniority, Mendoza said.
In fact, professionals already don't perceive fancy job titles as indication of seniority in the workplace, according to the survey, with only 15% of the respondents seeing the C-suite or head-related titles as a true sign of seniority.
As per the survey, professionals put greater weight on team leadership (44%) and perceived importance of the role (41% in determining seniority in the workplace.
