Passed over for promotion without an interview

[user1467798821]

DH works for a smallish company, a month ago the manager stepped down due to the stress and workload. DH made it clear to the manager above him that he would be very interested in applying for that position and was promised that he could come in for an interview within a fortnight, he has asked since then if the position was still,open and was told he had not been forgotten.
Today he gets a text informing the team that as of mid May, the new manager would be Fred Bloggs.
Can they do that, not even bring him in for an interview? The new guy has no managerial experience either and is not a current member of staff. Obviously DH feels angry, let down and under valued, what should he do?

[JellyMouldJnr]

Of course they don't have to interview him just because he wants to be considered for the role. It wasn't handled well but they are within their rights. He should ask for feedback as to why he wasn't appointed and consider his options after that.

[highinthesky]

Was there actually an open recruitment process to fill this gap? If DH wasn't shortlisted for interview, it's because he didn't meet the minimum criteria and it would have been good form to have either informed him through a short communication, or to have been clear that no response within X time indicates an unsuccessful application.

Is the new manager interim, or permanent? He may not have done this job before, but sometimes a new broom can make a huge positive difference, so I wouldn't discount Fred Bloggs' ability. The best thing DH can do is to take this with good grace, and be co-operative.

If he can't do that, he should look for opportunities elsewhere. Sometimes it's a fact that to go up the employment ladder, it means a new position in a different company.

[daisychain01]

I expect they've covered their tracks behind the scenes to ensure they can evidence some kind of selection process.

It happens, a staff member is 'earmarked' for a role, management know who they want and they shoe-horn the person in. At times they even run interviews to evidence good practice, but unless your DH is prepared to take them to task formally (probably won't get him very far), then I'd say put it down to experience. It could show a positive side, if he asks for any general feedback and adds it to his development plan.

If the previous manager left due to stress and workload, does your DH not take that as a red flag?

[user1467798821]

Thankyou all for your replies, we had kind of guessed that there wasn't anything he could do, but he feels like it was all done behind his back and its left a nasty taste in his mouth.
He's the kindest, gentlest of men that has the respect of the entire workforce and after the group text went out earlier every single one of them called him. It's awful to see how angry and disappointed he is, and it's not done much for his self esteem either!

[NewIdeasToday]

Sorry to hear this.

I wonder if part of the issue is how you describe him as 'the kindest and gentlest of men'. He sounds lovely but unfortunately those aren't qualities that people look for when hiring managers.

[Allthebestnamesareused]

How do you know that Fred Bloggs doesn't have the requisite experience out of interest?

[user1467798821]

The industry they work in, in a very small industry, everyone knows everyone else iyswim, so none of the work force will take this guy seriously. They have all called DH today to ask what happened at his interview as no one can believe he didn't get the job.
He is really disappointed and feels very undervalued but the main boss is known for saying " if you don't like it, you know where the door is" so DH has made some calls today and is looking for a new job, am sad for him, but if this firm doesn't appreciate his 30 years of experience and loyalty, someone else will
Thanks again for your replies everyone

[NewIdeasToday]

Good luck to your husband then. Hope it all works out for the best.

[flowery]

There's no requirement to undertake any kind of selection process at all if they don't want to. It's usually a good idea to, both to ensure you actually get the best candidate and also to provide evidence of decision-making should the decision be challenged by someone who feels there was discrimination involved.

But although a process is a good idea, in circumstances where the manager had obviously decided for whatever reason that he didn't want your DH for the role, dragging him through a fake interview process wouldn't have helped anyone.

Some managers make poor recruitment decisions or make them for the wrong reasons. This may be one of those times. Some managers are really bad at communicating and duck the difficult conversations. Sound like this is definitely one of those times.

But none of that is unlawful. I agree it sounds like he is undervalued and should look elsewhere.

[daisychain01]

OP I think it's quite an extreme step for your DH to 'flounce' just because he didn't get that job. I've 'seen it all' in these circumstances from bogus interviews to tick the corporate decision-making box to someone doing a solid performance and being denied a promotional opportunity for 3 years. It can be demoralising, but then the other side of the coin is that it's common practice, so the grass isn't always greener..

He should think twice about jumping ship just because of 1 disappointment at this point in his career. For example, does he stands to give up the protection of 2 years' employment rights, is it worth it? What about his pension, and having to start afresh. He needs to decide what he will lose and gain.

[Mulledwine1]

If he's been there for 30 years I'd stick with it.

[daisychain01]

The way I read it, the OPs DH has been in the industry for 30y possibly not that company. But I could be wrong.

[flowery]

I would agreeing that 'flouncing' to make a point would be shortsighted, but he is obviously keen to move up the ladder and isn't going to achieve that where he is, which is very common. A considered, strategic move elsewhere to achieve the progression he is looking for would not be making a point.

[user1467798821]

He's not a flounder, thankfully that's my role, but this has upset him. It's not just being passed over, it's the whole underhanded way it's been announced, especially as he's very approachable. He is 50 and the job he does is quite specialised and physical, so he was looking to become a little more office based.
He has an interview for 2 weeks time in a bigger company, more chance of progression and a higher salary, even if he decides not to jump, it will show him what else is out there

[highinthesky]

Good luck to Fred Bloggs, it sounds like he's got his work cut out for him winning the workforce over. He'll have to work for his money.

The best thing DH can do under the circumstances is to watch the canary and learn....

[highinthesky]

Glad DH has more irons in the fire. This could be a very good move.