Colleague been given promotion but this was never advertised

If you’re agency, then you’re not part of the Civil Service, so their official processes for advertising promotions fairly don’t apply.

What would you rather happened ? They wasted their time advertising, you wasted your time applying and it was given to her anyway?

CS here. I work on a team all the same grade. We speak to our manger in our 1-1 each month and give ideas of things we’d like to try. We all do different tasks. I can’t give examples because it would be very outing, but I do a task extra to my job that I am interested in - if someone else also wanted to do it we would share the task.

none of us are paid extra, it’s all just for our own progression.

It’s sucks but I work in the private sector and this happens ALL the time.

Unless I’m missing something she hasn’t actually been promoted, no change to role title formally so no pay rise etc. Quite possibly she has just asked for more responsibility to boost her experience, get the skills to boost competencies for promotion, which is completely fine and good for her taking that initiative.

It doesn’t sound like she’s actually been given a promotion; there’s no new job title or, by the sounds of it, money. It sounds like maybe she’s asked what sort of opportunities there are for progression or development and she’s been given that opportunity. That’s a) proactive of her and b) a good thing that your manager is doing. The only issue is if she’s not doing her actual job because she’s acting up into an assistant manager role.

I’ve got some high performers in my team who aren’t quite ready to take the next step yet but want to get some experience, so I’ve given them the opportunity to line manage some of the very junior members of the team, plus got their team managers to get them to assist with some of their tasks. It means that when they do get to interview for the next role up, they have experience they can use to answer any questions too.

It’s also very bad for staff morale to see other people being parachuted into posts you didn’t get a chance to apply for

But it doesn’t sound as though there is a new post, or a promotion has occurred here. Simply, a staff member has been delegated some tasks as and when, which is normal. It’s not typical those tasks are delegated around a team of 20 pass the parcel style, more standard would be 1 or 2 in a team of 20 based on manager comfort and targeted development for progression. I’ve managed teams for decades in both public and private sectors and that’s pretty much how it works.

You may also have someone who, while not ‘the best’ currently, has the better potential to quickly upskill and leapfrog up several levels over people who are currently better. So, you often get their colleagues scratching their heads saying ‘why not me, I’m better’ but not realising, while this is currently true, it’s been assessed their ultimate potential pretty much has a lower roof so it’s better to ‘invest’ in the other person.

Then there’s other considerations, as to who you may want above you for the benefit of your department. Many’s the time I’ve given someone opportunities as I see them eventually being suitable for upper roles that would impact my department. I’d prefer to enable someone to get there that I know is going to benefit/not hinder my department. It’s all a strategy thing.

I don't blame the OP from being bitter; any decent manager would have discussed opportunities for development, with the whole team. Most of us have seen favouritism, in employment. I know I've seen automatic promotions, which benefit the delegating manager.

It’s also very bad for staff morale to see other people being parachuted into posts you didn’t get a chance to apply for.

she was given the assistant manager role within days of us all being on the team

You have said she doesn’t have a new role though when responding to someone, just that she is being delegated some tasks?

Has her formal job role changed, title changed, and she being paid according to the new formal role/title? If so, then yes, the job should have been advertised and everyone given the opportunity to apply.

Or, has there been no change to formal role, title, money but your manager has delegated some tasks, inclusive of some additional tasks if they go on leave? If so, there is no new role so nothing to advertise.

Post regraded?

@TheCurious0rangerecruits in the civil service, and has the answer. Their policies back this up, or used to.

If she is agency, she won’t have been promoted, she is probably just doing it for development, especially if she is also wanting a job in the civil service. Speak to your LM and say you’re keen to do extra duties for development too.

Unsure of the legalities regarding this scenario but from other people's experiences, it does seem a waste of time interviewing when they already know who they are recruiting. Unless of course, the interview experience helps.

Also being a top performer does not indicate good leadership. I am a top performer within my role but I would be a terrible leader. Not saying you would be at all, I just know my strengths, even if I was pushed, I would still turn it down.

Have you spoken to your manager and asked if there are similar opportunities available for you?

It's generally considered best practice to advertise all vacancies, for transparency and to ensure a strong candidate pool, but there's no requirement to do it and TBH, when it's a forgone conclusion, you save everyone a lot of time if you don't.

If she's brand new it sounds as though she's entered the CS on the lowest rung but is clearly very capable and the CS wants her to promote quickly so is giving her the opportunity to do that.

It's based on your written application, how you interview and the examples you give, I recruit for leadership and senior leadership roles and see so many applicants who come along and tell me truthfully how great they are at their jobs, fine, but you're not evidencing how you would be or are a great leader. People who push and innovate are able to do that.

Only the headship needs to be advertised. It only seems to happen in poorer schools and isn’t seen as good practice.

You sound bitter.

Why not go to your manager with a proposal for additional work you'd like to do in your working day? I'm assuming there that you have capacity to do additional work or greater responsibility.

If she has no new job title she hasn't been promoted, given she's new to the team maybe it was agreed as part of her coming over that she would have specific development opportunities. Those are not advertised because they are not formal, just make sure they are included in your PDP/CBF objectives you are with your manager for the year. To get promoted in the CS you often have to go beyond the remit of your own role to get the right experience, you have to be self motivated and take initiative to make sure you get those opportunities. I have seen this time and time again driven people really pushing to do extra and then when they do interview and get promotion others complaining because they weren't offered the same chances, what they don't see is that they weren't offered the person really pushed for/initiated them by spotting gaps and offering a solution.