I feel that a member of my team is about to be poached by my own team

esj13

For context I work for a local authority in England. I work within a team and my role is very specific, and I have two assistant members of staff to help with my growing workload. It started out as one and then, as the team grew, it was expanded to two.

I had a permanent member of staff who went on a new role on a secondment. The post was then advertised and we found it difficult to find anyone good enough to take a fixed-term post. So the post remained unfilled for 6 months until our team expanded, and we advertised for both roles at the same time.

We got one internal candidate for the permanent post, and an external candidate for the fixed-term role.

I and my colleague interviewed the fixed-term post and my colleague was very impressed with them as they were someone coming from working self-employed as a sole trader, but their interview was one of the best I've ever seen.

So they have been in post since May last year and have settled in very well and has eased my workload significantly and improved my job satisfaction.

They have told me that, while out on a works do over Christmas, the colleague who interviewed them with me made a comment to them about "you're coming working on my team" before they departed and we stayed out.

Then, the week before Christmas, I felt railroaded by my manager who arranged a meeting with the manager of the member of staff whose substantive post they are filling, asking for an ultimatum on whether they would be returning as we would no longer support the secondment, in order to provide team stability.

I had the week prior to Christmas booked as leave and they arranged this meeting then, but I was never once consulted on attending the meeting, even though this is my member of staff.

My manager also said that we would ask for an answer in early January.

I came back to work after Christmas to see an email where the meeting agreed to ask for a decision by mid-February.

Meantime, a member of my colleagues team had left (they gave notice prior to the comment made on the do). This member of staff's post was a part-time position, and had previously been denied being increased to full-time hours.

Once the post was vacant, my manager seemed to wave a magic wand, and the post was made full-time and a whole scale higher. It was also advertised very quickly, and only for 5 days. Our team has a track record of taking months to fill vacant posts.

Because of the situation, and need for security, my staff member has applied, and has today got an interview. I can see my colleagues calendar, and their interview is the only one.

I do feel (and my other colleague agrees) that this has been orchestrated to give preferential treatment to another manager, who our manager is friends with outside work. And all the clues are there;

• The comment
• The timing of the vacant post when longer hours were requested and denied
• The post being changed
• My manager forcing my hand in asking the secondment to end
• My manager meeting HR without me and changing the deadline
• Only one applicant invited to interview for the new job
• Other people have picked up on this at the same time and then asked me my thoughts and I confirmed the same as them

I do feel quite aggrieved, and my member of staff has said they feel like they are being used as a pawn by my manager and colleague.

Fearing I know the answer, is there anything I can do about this?

elsien

Given that it’s all absolutely speculation, then no.
for example, only one interview doesn’t mean it’s only one person applied. There may have been another applications which did not meet the job spec. Calendar stalking does not give you the full picture
You don’t have sole dibs on particular members of staff - there are business needs within there as well.

gm0

Not really. Big old pile of "so what" with no upside for you.

All managers wish to prioritise different areas and functions. And give and take amongst the group of "section" leads or "directorates" as they may find themselves swimming. And retain good staff by arranging that the opportunity dice fall appropriately. The details of "necessary process" vary a lot by sector. And people have work friends and are more helpful to some than others who have been less collegiate back. And over time / jobs - some people - quel horreur - are friends outside work as well. So what.

But they always make subjective judgements. Even if there is form filling and "post advertising policies" to follow to get to it. Sure they have to use the local processes they are forced to follow rather than take purely arbitrary actions undocumented. A level of defensible policy compliance and being onside of underpinning legal constraints is required. Varies from "the city" to "small biz" to "corporate" to central gov't to LA as to how many trees die on bureaucracy. But the sentiment is the same.

So let's assume you can find a process step missed/done wrong to policy. You can raise this and attempt to disrupt this cosy arrangement. And fail. And offend both bosses. Great result. Or succeed and delay and force them to go again for a couple of months. And perhaps still get to the same place. And offend both bosses. And the person with the delayed promotion and pay. Or it delays it enough - and "something else" happens in between. Still not loving these options.

It is natural to aim for the result they wish to achieve. A rising star over here. A promotion opportunity lands in a right place - on a candidate that we wish to keep and can get more out of. And as importantly does not land on one we don't much care about retaining as they are "good enough not to dismiss on performance/capability" but no better" - so plateau them until they quit - or both accept the value for money achieved for effort in. All organisations have plodders. Don't do much. Don't give much. And don't get much (consideration). Career opportunity is a scarce resource in these delayered times.

All the while this happens - clearly you don't want a negative outcome for you.

So if the now changed situation changes capacity vs demand for your area - then there is a professional conversation to be had with your manager about the expected supply and demand and the next quarter or two and what other actions need and can/cannot be taken to deal with any imbalances and the consequences of those choices (more hiring, no more hiring). And how your goals/objectives play in.

All while celebrating the overall success and the promotion of the successful new hire (you helped bring in). Relentless positivity. And a professional attachment to the "facts" that affect your direct team and its service levels.

I see no better option.

subjecttocontract

I find your post incredible. Just because you have a member of staff it doesn't mean you own them. They are free to apply for other positions in or out of your organisation. If you want to retain good people offer them an incentive not an expectation.

Marcon

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6652467/i-feel-that-a-member-of-my-team-is-about-to-be-poached-by-my-own-team

You've posted a huge amount of information on a public website, making it all too easy to identify you and the other players should anyone from your organisation be reading this. Do you really think that was wise, especially as this is all speculation - and even if it proves correct, there's nothing you can do about it.

sheramber

“and my member of staff has said they feel like they are being used as a pawn by my manager and colleague”

They didn’t need to apply for the job.

The internal politics are not their concern and you should be wishing them good luck.

TELLIT01

I gave up half way through the OP but decisions on who works where in any organisation are taken by management at varioius levels. It seems unlikely that the OP would be able to ban/block a member of their team being moved to another team.

All they can really do, once they have hard evidence that is is being planned, is to speak to the relevant manager regarding the problems the move will create for your team and follow that conversation up with an e-mail to confirm they understood those concerns.

Grumpy_chap

Surely, if the individual has the potential to advance their career, it is better for everyone if that advancement is within the business rather than the individual taking their capabilities to a competitor?

monkey-fingers

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81857204#Comment_81857204

This. I used to have a number of apprentices work for me. Some of them were incredible, but I always encouraged them to move on and up!

And I can say the same for any one of my team. One of them, who had worked in the same position for 15 years, asked for a one-to-one with me one day randomly.

He'd had enough of what he was doing and asked if I could help him do something else. I spoke to my manager, got us a training budget and he's now got a really worthwhile career. Even though I've left, we keep in touch.

Another came to me as a junior, even though she had loads of experience and after a few months, we quickly found her a new, better position in the organisation. She's really senior now, but still calls me boss 🤣