Forced change of job roles?

motorguy

DVardysShadow wrote: »

They think you are good enough to be put in charge of a small team at 6 months in. But if you know it is not for you, then you are the one who knows best.

Obviously the manner of dropping this on to you was a bit of a shock, so it is not surprising you did not react at the time, but the very fact that you have sat with it over the weekend and not made your position clear on Monday morning indicates to me that you are probably not best suited to this.

You have to go back to them without further delay and say "I am sorry, I cannot do this job for you. I was taken by surprise on Friday, so I said nothing. But I have done the role before and I do not want it and I have been very happy to be just a Senior Support specialist. If you would like me to do more in that role, I would be very happy to discuss possibilities. But I do not want the [responsibility for other staff - or whatever aspects] which goes with the current role."

The role that was described to me on friday and which i agreed to has turned out to be very different in the flesh. What was supposed to be a back office tactical role managing a small team of developers and data analysts has turned out to be very 'front office' - i'm expected to go out on the floor every day 'floor walking', to discuss outstanding technology issues and then manage these via a strategic resolution plan. These may range from small changes to complete systems replacements. Within an hour of our meeting our head of IT sent to the entire management team that i was now the primary point of contact for X, Y, and Z systems (representing 80% of the systems out on the floor) and to contact me direct from now on.

My manager is on a training course this week, and left on friday with no handover (i'll email you over the weekend...) therefore i have had no opportunity to sit down and discuss.

I then check my blackberry last night to find three of the senior team directing me to provide a detailed problem status report on an issue that has been open with my manager for heading on two weeks now and to 'speak to the people necessary' to make that happen last night.

If i'd wanted that sort of role, i'd have dosed up on some pills and stayed were i was.

Based on responses here, i've asked to speak to our HR contact here to discuss. I spoke to the guy who interviewed me for the role (from the recruitment team) and he recalls i made it very clear at the time that i was attracted to the role because it was technical and not a management role.

I guess i will see how that goes when i meet her.

motorguy

Proc wrote: »

Awww. I love how I give decent advice about talking to your employer, going careful because less than 12 month etc (far more advice than any others) and all the cry-babies emerge over my tongue-in-cheek closing comment. Brilliant!

In fairness, you're right that i should be careful RE: duration with company, etc.

DVardysShadow

pgilc1 wrote: »

The role that was described to me on friday and which i agreed to has turned out to be very different in the flesh. What was supposed to be a back office tactical role managing a small team of developers and data analysts has turned out to be very 'front office' - i'm expected to go out on the floor every day 'floor walking', to discuss outstanding technology issues and then manage these via a strategic resolution plan. These may range from small changes to complete systems replacements. Within an hour of our meeting our head of IT sent to the entire management team that i was now the primary point of contact for X, Y, and Z systems (representing 80% of the systems out on the floor) and to contact me direct from now on.

My manager is on a training course this week, and left on friday with no handover (i'll email you over the weekend...) therefore i have had no opportunity to sit down and discuss.

I then check my blackberry last night to find three of the senior team directing me to provide a detailed problem status report on an issue that has been open with my manager for heading on two weeks now and to 'speak to the people necessary' to make that happen last night.

If i'd wanted that sort of role, i'd have dosed up on some pills and stayed were i was.

Based on responses here, i've asked to speak to our HR contact here to discuss. I spoke to the guy who interviewed me for the role (from the recruitment team) and he recalls i made it very clear at the time that i was attracted to the role because it was technical and not a management role.

I guess i will see how that goes when i meet her.

Oh, you have been bounced into it. Quite deliberate doing it before going on the course too. In your position, I would be dropping the word 'grievance' into the HR conversation - more in the 'I don't want to go down the ... " sense than anything. It might put this into the right frame for HR. Obviously, your manager is too clever for his boots and thinks he has pulled a wonderful coup. He has to be brought down to earth.

heretolearn_2

Thank them for offering you a promotion but say you don't want to accept. See what they say. Is it a new role? It might be that they've reorganised how things work there and don't need your current role any more, but need an additional manager. If that's the case, then I'm afraid if you don't want the new job, you'll be out.

I take it they didn't offer any extra money? If you do eventually decide to accept and stay, it's a promotion with additional responsibilities and you should negotiate a payrise.

motorguy

heretolearn wrote: »

Thank them for offering you a promotion but say you don't want to accept. See what they say. Is it a new role? It might be that they've reorganised how things work there and don't need your current role any more, but need an additional manager. If that's the case, then I'm afraid if you don't want the new job, you'll be out.

I take it they didn't offer any extra money? If you do eventually decide to accept and stay, it's a promotion with additional responsibilities and you should negotiate a payrise.

The old role no longer exists, so yes, thats why i need to be careful about how this pans out.

I spoke to the head of department yesterday afternoon and described how this was sold to me as a 'back office' position yet i was now the point of contact for the business for the core systems and very much out on the floor. Apparently they know that in the short term i am 'straddling two roles' and that they are going to recruit for a business relationship manager to do that front office role. He has asked me to bear with them in the mean time.

I guess there is little else i can do right now. I've let him know i am unhappy with what has happened and the lack of communication.

If the other role doesnt pan out, i guess all i can do is vote with my feet as it were.