Promotions & Politics

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21

To be honest and how I read it: it’s a problem from both sides.

  1. your company (HR/mgmt) may think that’s too much, or may have more or less written policies that prevent, to get you bumped up twice in such a short time (salary first, promotion would be second, or even promotion alone would be too soon with lack of company or age seniority).

I think he may have fucked up in not validating with his bosses or HR your candidacy.

  1. (or/and) he may have painted them a picture that you are great, and pushed behind the scenes to give a chance for you, maybe even fought for you, but in reality they were looking for someone more senior to lead and/or upper mgmt had different soft criteria in mind.

Either way comms and expectation management went wrong, but not necessarily you had a chance to begin with.

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22

Good points @lowyield. Based on the job description and required qualifications I tick all boxes.

Being new to the company is another thing but I should have not been encouraged to apply in the first place.

By the way, I never intended to apply until my manager told me that there is this opening and “please go ahead and apply because you are a great fit.” Quoting his exact words here.

Nevertheless, a nice reminder that we are all replaceable and another reminder for me to push harder to FIRE ASAP and enjoy slow mornings and my family.

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23

Fair points, I see your point.

My main and only concern is the Title and responsibilities that I would be getting in this new position.

Budget is tight and I don’t expect anything similar to open in the short-term future. I see this as a huge opportunity that was missed. I will cool down and reflect on the situation.

24

It could be the HR. In my company is not recommended for someone within the team to take a manager position in the same team.
It will always cristalise resentement and create some drama in the futur.

The best is to move from expert to Team lead or manager position in the same company in another team. You need to gain 2-3 years experiences as a manager before applying to another manager position to competitors.

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25

You nailed it. Promotions are often less about merit and more about timing, internal politics, and unwritten rules. It’s possible your manager pushed hard but underestimated the barriers set by HR or senior leadership. The key takeaway is to manage expectations, focus on continuous growth, and keep communication open with your direct leadership to understand where you truly stand

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26

Sorry to hear! Politics changes fast. Could be something totally unrelated to you (the other person managed to activate their network).
Checking with you = figuring out if you’d be trouble and potentially preparing to involve HR.

My 2 cents. Move away: internally or externally fast. Being passed over for a promotion will be a strike against you in all your applications unless you move away. Things will get exponentially harder if you stay. Also the new boss may perceive you as the biggest threat.

27

I have been applying for jobs a lot lately and got a lot of rejections. They hurt, but in the end, it will not matter. You have a job and as you laid it out, you depend on it. If you depend on it, play it well. Tell your manager, you’re looking forward to working with the new manager, they have decided for. Tell him, that you will accept their decision, if it’s best for the company’s interest.
The decision has been made, and it’s not in your power to change it. For now, accept it.
But I would advise you to look for another job. Depending on your industry, it could take a while. Hide it well from your manager, if you depend on the job. And maybe, the new manager will not succeed, so they might come back to you. Stay motivated, or at least behave like it.

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