Overlooked for promotion

ThemeOne

Be careful with HR - it does depend on the people involved obviously, but they're not some kind of internal Citizens Advice Bureau, they're mostly just there to make sure the company doesn't fall foul of employment law, and they often take the boss's side because that's who pays them.

There was another thread on here today from someone passed over for promotion and, as I said there, unfortunately there no right to be promoted, no matter how unfair it can seem.

All you can do it talk to your boss, and try and find out why you weren't even considered. As the new person is only "interim" maybe you still could be considered longer term.

All in all, though, this might be a sign it's time to think about moving on.

Another thought I'll leave you with (though it may not help) is although you probably think you've done a lot for the company over the years, unfortunately companies are inanimate objects and can't thank you. Only people can do that ...

Nicki

kleapatra wrote: »

Nope - not advertised so couldn't apply. It's a financial job

You have it in your head that you were "overlooked" ie that they didn't think to offer you the job. But you approached them and told them you wanted it and they appointed someone else, so you weren't overlooked, you were rejected. Sorry to be blunt but I think you need to be honest with yourself before you fire off to HR. For whatever reason your face didn't fit for this job and as they have known you for 8 years how would an interview have changed that?

Ask for feedback by all means and use that to tailor your application for a more senior role somewhere else, but in your shoes I'd abandon any thought that this decision will be changed as on what you yourself have posted there is no reason to believe it will be.

Errata

Doesn't the fact that you've never had an increase in salary in eight years tell you everything you need to know?

kleapatra

Takeaway_Addict wrote: »

Have you thanked the employer for keeping you in a job for 8 years? It does work both ways.

Sounds like they head hunted someone, would you rather they played the game and interviewed you and then turned you down? Would you not be writing this same post saying similar things?

Your staff are hardly going to say 'thank goodness you didn't get the job' to your face are they, they might genuinely be disappointed for you but take their responses with a pinch of salt.

By all means ask why they didn't consider you (they may have considered you and decided to go in another direction) right for the job but be professional whatever their response and expect if you want a promotion then you will have to move companies.

They haven't headhunted anyone - he's been connected to the company in the past (but not worked here or done any work for us)
And if someone else got the job fair and square no I wouldn't be here moaning, my point is that I wasn't even given the opportunity.

As as for my staff, I do believe everything they tell me, my promotion would have meant additional opportunities for them as well and they are genuinely upset on my behalf.

A promotion in another company is not possible as the industry is quite specialist. Another reason why its odd getting someone in who doesn't know anything the sector.

kleapatra

Errata wrote: »

Doesn't the fact that you've never had an increase in salary in eight years tell you everything you need to know?

Not really, the company is a charity and times are hard, no one has had a payrise in the last 8 years!

Mulder00

I would ask the CEO in the first place why you were overlooked. As others here pointed out, I'd take the things your colleagues and your previous boss said with a pinch of salt. If my boss was overlooked for a promotion, I would definitely side with him, regardless of whether I think he actually deserved it (this is for various reasons!!).

Often people are also overlooked for promotion for operational reasons. If you know more about the business and the sector, it's usually more useful to keep someone who knows more about the operations and industry closer to the ground than higher up in management.

Your best course of action is first finding out why you weren't considered for the role and if you were, why nothing was communicated to you.

RichardD1970

Sorry, but you have worked there for 8 years, they know you.

They know you were interested on the job.

Knowing all that they do, they didn't give you the job.

Sorry to be harsh but they obviously don't want you in that job for whatever reason.

marybelle01

KiKi wrote: »

The fact they've brought in an interim is interesting, though. And suggests to me that there's more happening that you perhaps know about. I'd bring in an interim if I knew changes were going to be happening and I didn't want someone in a position permanently, but didn't want to tell any of the staff that, yet... Could that be a possibility?

KiKi

^^^^^ This!


I have often filled interim roles over the years. Without exception there are only two reasons for doing it. Either the organisation is seriously looking at change / restructure, and/or they think they may need change/restructure and they want someone in there without a vested interest to advise them whilst maintaining the work output "in the interim". And if this is potentially on the cards, I wouldn't suggest drawing any attention to yourself other than for sterling work ethic. As others have suggested, if they thought that you were the ideal and only person for the position, you would have got it. That does not mean you may not be the ideal and only person for whatever job it may be in a few months, or even that they don't think that already - but start "moaning" about it and you almost certainly won't be.


As others have said, they didn't have to advertise the job, they didn't have to recruit at all, and "fair and square" doesn't enter into it. So complaining about it won't get you anywhere now - it is done; and may even be against your longer term interests if there is a chance in the future.


Of course, nobody could blame you for being upset, or for actively starting to seek another, better job - and if the adverts happen to be lying around at the top of your in tray for all to see, without you saying a word at all, then office gossip usually does the communication for you. If the employer gets wind that you are looking elsewhere, and they want to retain you, they'll deal with their problem. And if they get wind of it and they don't - well you will have your answer, and that is get another job.

RobertoMoir

kleapatra wrote: »

They haven't headhunted anyone - he's been connected to the company in the past (but not worked here or done any work for us)
And if someone else got the job fair and square no I wouldn't be here moaning, my point is that I wasn't even given the opportunity.

If there's no requirement for them to go through a particular process to fill a role then there's nothing wrong in what they've done, I'm afraid.

Therefore, if the CEO was aware of your interest in the role and appointed someone else then, as others have said, you've not been 'overlooked', you've been rejected. Your CEO doesn't see you as a suitable fit for this interim role.

You might want to politely ask why, as its not unreasonable to be invested in the progression of your own career, but "fair and square" doesn't enter into it, I'm afraid. Unless you can show you were overlooked as part of some discriminatory action the worst they can really be accused of is handling things poorly by not taking the time to explain this to you in a better way that left you feeling less resentful.

As others have said, the "interim" bit of the new person's appointment is interesting. If they really are there short term to cover a restructuring of that role then perhaps the question you should be asking is "Would I be considered for whatever role came out of the other side of that restructure."

teffers

ThemeOne wrote: »

Another thought I'll leave you with (though it may not help) is although you probably think you've done a lot for the company over the years, unfortunately companies are inanimate objects and can't thank you. Only people can do that ...

Well not strictly true. That's exactly what Pay-rises, bonuses, benefits packages and promotions are Recognition of the work you've put in and thanking you for your service.