Want to get ahead at work? Indian recruiter shares 9 ‘shady’ moves that may help

Career growth is not always about working longer hours, saying yes to every request or quietly waiting for good work to be noticed. Indian recruiter Juhi Bhatia has sparked a conversation on Instagram by presenting nine workplace tactics she describes as “slightly shady”, arguing that professionals may need to be more deliberate about visibility, boundaries, negotiation and career positioning.

Her suggestions challenge familiar office habits such as people-pleasing, taking on unwanted work, avoiding self-promotion and hesitating to ask for a better role or salary. While some users called the advice practical and long overdue, others questioned whether some of the tactics could backfire.

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Don’t rush to advertise that you have free time

Bhatia’s first suggestion was aimed at employees who finish their assignments ahead of schedule and immediately make their availability known.


“Let them think you’re busier than you are,” she wrote, warning professionals against becoming known as the person who finishes everything fastest.

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“Finished something early? Good for you. You don’t need to immediately announce that you have capacity. Nobody is handing out medals for fastest employee,” Bhatia said.

Her second point focused on another habit she believes can hold employees back: downplaying their individual contribution.

“If you led it, say ‘I led it.’ If you built it, say ‘I built it.’ You don’t need to sprinkle ‘we’ over everything to seem likable,” she advised.

The argument behind both suggestions is that employees should not make themselves less visible simply to appear accommodating or modest.

Make sure senior leaders know who you are

Bhatia’s third “Shady Move” centred on visibility. She encouraged professionals to make themselves known beyond their immediate reporting line.

“Make sure your boss’s boss knows who you are,” she wrote, suggesting employees speak during meetings, ask thoughtful questions and volunteer for projects that matter to senior leadership.

She also advised workers to interview with other companies even when they are not planning to resign.

According to Bhatia, going through the process can help employees understand their standing in the job market and discover what another employer might be willing to pay them.

“Find out what someone else would pay you. It’s not cheating. You’re not married to your employer,” she wrote.

Stop saying yes to work nobody wants

The fifth suggestion dealt with the unpaid or unnoticed tasks that can gradually add to an employee’s workload.

Bhatia advised professionals to stop automatically volunteering for responsibilities such as taking meeting notes, collecting money for birthdays or organising office parties.

Her point was that taking on these jobs can create additional work without necessarily bringing recognition or career benefits.

At the same time, she encouraged employees to be more ambitious about asking for opportunities.

“Shady Move #6: Ask for things you’re not completely qualified for,” she wrote, reminding readers that requesting a promotion or a larger raise is not inherently wrong simply because they do not meet every qualification.

Help your boss succeed, but build your own backup

Bhatia’s next tactic moved into the territory of workplace relationships and office politics. Rather than treating internal politics as something to avoid completely, she suggested employees make themselves useful to influential people.

“Bring solutions instead of problems. Give them information before they ask. Make their life easier,” she wrote.

She added: “Funny how often ‘office politics’ is just making yourself useful to powerful people.”

Her eighth recommendation was more controversial: teach someone else how to perform your job.

Bhatia argued that becoming the only person capable of handling a task can leave an employee stuck doing it indefinitely.

“If you’re the only person who can do it… guess who they need to keep doing it? Congratulations. You played yourself,” she wrote.

Silence can be useful when negotiating

Her final tactic focused on salary and other negotiations. Bhatia advised professionals not to rush to fill an uncomfortable pause after making a request.

“Let someone else speak first. Especially in a negotiation,” she wrote.

She urged employees to clearly state what they want and then stop talking, arguing that silence can create room for the other side to respond with a better offer.

“You’d be amazed what people offer when you don’t rush in to make them comfortable. Silence is allowed to be awkward. Let it,” she concluded.

Social media debates whether these moves are really ‘shady’

Bhatia’s list prompted users to debate not only whether the tactics work, but also whether they should be considered shady at all.

One user praised the post as a collection of things people rarely say openly but that can be true in professional life.

Another commenter said they had tried all of the suggested tactics and found most of them effective, but claimed that asking for roles they were not qualified for and training someone else to do their work had backfired twice. The user also added another point: “Image and Reputation is absolutely important keep protecting it at all costs saves from most of the things.”

A third user questioned the usefulness of Bhatia’s first point for remote employees who have mandatory daily stand-up meetings, where available capacity may be visible to the team.

Several others rejected the label “shady” altogether. One commenter argued that teaching a hardworking colleague, helping managers by proactively providing solutions, making achievements visible and giving others space to speak are all worthwhile workplace practices.

Another user similarly said the suggestions were not shady but were important for protecting “peace and sanity” and creating better work-life balance.

The advice on training colleagues also drew criticism from another commenter, who argued that teaching someone else to perform your role could effectively amount to creating your own replacement.

The responses ultimately showed that Bhatia’s nine tactics can be viewed very differently depending on workplace culture, individual experience and how each strategy is applied.