To hate this new employee stepping on my toes at work?

[Lizzie523]

In my line of work I have clients and work as part of a team. I manage all of one particular client's online presence, that is until lockdown when they could no longer afford us and decided to do it themselves. A new employee came on board 2 months ago at their company doing some of my former duties (but with no training in it). But now that we are back on board this colleague who was doing things themselves has continued managing the online presence. So we are now effectively sharing this responsibility.

Yesterday I introduced myself in a friendly email saying I understood we would be working together (ie trying to make the best of it). I sent him instructions for a project and welcomed his input. He then relayed to my main client, his boss, that he 'didn't like' what I had proposed and was going to do the project himself from scratch! And my client/his boss is allowing this! I feel all my autonomy is being taken away.

All I can imagine is that they are trying to undermine or replace me and show they are indispensable during a difficult economic time. I HATE this new way of working, which I have mentioned to my line manager. She agrees it is annoying and says we will broach it in a future meeting but it will be too late by then. Any advice?

I think you need to approach this differently. Stop focusing on what the new person has taken away/not doing properly - given the client has expressed that he wants the relationship to be long term, come up with proposals on how you think it can work well in the new situation - who’s responsible for what, what the workflow is, how to ensure maximum value from each of you. Don’t focus on what needs to get done, focus on the how it should get done.

This person is probably feeling really vulnerable in a job they’ve just started in a shit job market. Help them, don’t fight them or make them feel even more vulnerable by trying to show you’re better. Show how you can work with the new guy to add value instead.

I will just stay quiet and either the client will realise he needs me, or they will make it all in house and that will be that

i still don't think you're getting it.

as an external supplier of consulting services, you need to understand the scope of what you're meant to deliver - and yes, that means raising questions for clarifications internally.

i wouldn't take kindly to one of my staff not clarifying this if i heard about these issues down the line. you don't just keep quiet?!

Not RTFT and I know very little about your industry but it sounds like your role with this particular client needs re-defining. Should I be in your shoes, I'd meet with your LM and the client to discuss what exactly they want from you. I'd step away from what this new employee is doing given that it's full of errors - it's not up to you to point this out but it's totally fine to ask what, if any, is your part in the contract.

There's little else you can do and while it's ok to seethe a bit in private, I'd be putting a grey rock face on things but requesting that the contract be reviewed. I wouldn't want my name put on any item that was so full of errors - step away fast but professionally. No emotions involved.

@JassyRadlett I do feel I am trying to do this. I suggested we work on the plan over the next month or 2 together (which was a huge step away from me doing it all, but he didnt respond). I also said feel free to tweak x and y as you see fit in line with your expertise, but I didnt expect him to say they disliked everything I had proposed. They seem to have no intention of contacting me and yet we are to work together.

But you have given good advice here and I will think it over and try my best to handle this the right way. Thanks

I think you need to maintain a paper trail, so the crap work isn't thrown back in your face. 'I advise this approach... I see you're doing things in a different way, could I just suggest a couple of factual tweaks?' etc.

That way you can show that you advised a tried and tested approach, were ignored, remained helpful and tried to amerliorate the errors the in-house person had made, to make his company look as good as you possibly could.

Then, if and when they hit difficulties, or anyone else notices the poor quality, you can demonstrate clearly that you did everything within your power, nicely and professionally, to deliver the best possible product for the client.

You might want to ask your manager to talk to the client's manager, flagging up that your advice and what in-house person is doing, is very different, subtly making the point that your way is best practice in the field, while querying whether they really need your services any more.

@WelshMoth

Not RTFT and I know very little about your industry but it sounds like your role with this particular client needs re-defining. Should I be in your shoes, I'd meet with your LM and the client to discuss what exactly they want from you. I'd step away from what this new employee is doing given that it's full of errors - it's not up to you to point this out but it's totally fine to ask what, if any, is your part in the contract.

There's little else you can do and while it's ok to seethe a bit in private, I'd be putting a grey rock face on things but requesting that the contract be reviewed. I wouldn't want my name put on any item that was so full of errors - step away fast but professionally. No emotions involved.

I think this would be the right approach if she were self-employed but she's not - given that the revision of the contract is only going to go one way (giving less work and therefore money to OP's company) she can't push for this if her line manager isn't keen, and given that OP says that the LM seems to be taking a very softly, softly approach to this - presumably because she doesn't want to force a review of the contract - there isn't much OP can do

Yes well precisely @WelshMoth, my manager saw a badly written article go out and said she wondered who had done it. Not me! I have even suggested doing the editing ans proofreading part before publication. My suggestion was ignored.

Absolutely I think I have to go to my line manager to review the contract because the goalposts have majorly changed.

Make it clear to your own manager that the grammatical errors etc are not your fault. Just cover yourself. You can’t do much else.

It’s not personal.

But actually I think pp are right and the question is to clarify the scope of what they want from you and where it fits in to their processes.

I know it's not personal. The importance of my job has just become magnified since lockdown and I don't feel valued by this client anymore. This employee will be trying to survive as well, like many of us are.

I also said feel free to tweak x and y as you see fit in line with your expertise, but I didnt expect him to say they disliked everything I had proposed.

To be honest, if you’d said that to me and I was the new employee I’d feel like you were trying to assert dominance and put me in my place.

But I think you’re still focusing on the project - rather than the plan for how to do the project. In your shoes I think I would put it to the new person and original client in a single email (so new person can’t ignore it) as ‘reflections on how things have changed since lockdown, and your recent feedback, and specific proposals on how we might best manage the project in light of it’ - coming either from your boss or from you with boss’s blessing. Nothing on the content of the project, all about how the relationship is going to work now.

Thanks @JassyRadlett, I appreciate the advice. I really don't want to come across as controlling, I want to take a collaborative approach.

The other problem is that my main client insists on keeping the new employee out of all of our phone calls and meetings even though they are clearly now important in the overall scheme of things.

Have you had a zoom or anything with you, your boss and the clients? Might be easier to resolve stuff in person.

How do you know he said he didn't like your ideas?

Why do you say reach out? The new, young marketing person in our team uses this term. Everyone rolls their eyes about her Corp speak!

The other problem is that my main client insists on keeping the new employee out of all of our phone calls and meetings even though they are clearly now important in the overall scheme of things.

This does sound like they haven't really figured out how to deal with the fact they've now essentially duplicated this service that they pay for. Which must be really, really unsettling for this new employee. Also I think this explains why they don't respond to your emails as I think they don't actually know whether they even are supposed to deal with you directly, or indeed may have been told not to.

The other problem is that my main client insists on keeping the new employee out of all of our phone calls and meetings even though they are clearly now important in the overall scheme of things.

That’s frustrating! (And must be making new person feel like shit too.)

Given that it feels really important to sort out how it’s going to work in the (ugh) new normal and really clear expectations of each other. It feels like your LM needs to step up to be frank but you may need to give her the scaffolding to do it.

I’ve been on both sides of the table - I really do feel for you, agency work can be so stressful because you are so at the mercy of the client. I’m also aware I’ve been a fairly nightmare client on occasion, generally due to factors outside my control!

Sorry about 'reaching out'.....not sure where I've picked it up from!

Yes I agree it is probably confusing for both parties. I will need to think this through fully and then approach my LM.

Hang on, so your client is paying you to do a job, that they themselves are doing courtesy of this new guy?

Why are you complaining? Take the free money and focus on clients who aren't as daft.

Op you just need to nod and smile and do your job. Send everything to new employee by email. If he choses not to use it that's his decision.

I remember a job I had. Had built a fantastic relationship with a manager, really productive for her and me. We worked very well together, I was earning money, she was getting issues sorted efficiently and cost efficiently. Her boss was very pleased, her customers were happy.

New staff member started, daughter of big boss. She was junior to who I originally dealt with but then put in charge of department I worked with. Had her own ideas and plans. More or less said she didn't need my services in 'her' department as it was going in house.

I maintained a good relationship with original contact in her department and left new girl to it. After 6 weeks she was on phone 'picking my brains'. Helped her with some basic info but said I couldn't advise beyond general info as I didn't know the case. She wanted to send me the file to cast my eye over. Said no because I wasn't working for that department anymore. Said she wanted to instruct me to deal with this very time consuming and complicated issue. Said I would but rates would be twice what I charge other department.

Silly girl had a complete hissy fit and slammed phone down and said she would do it herself. Made a right cock up, cost her clients money, her company money and made herself look a twat. I was rehired a month later with full autonomy.

So my advice is that people quite often think they can do what you do. But they can't really and will be found out and shit will hit the fan. Let new employee make mistakes and just be waiting in the wings.

More or less @KeepingPlain apart from a couple of tasks.

They clearly haven't really realised what they have done yet so I feel I'm on borrowed time!

Let them keep being idiots then. Can't think why they are struggling for money, what idiots they have managing it. Just sit back and focus on your other clients until they realise what they are doing, just do the parts the new guy asks you to do. You have the proof they said his plan was better, show that when they complain. Their loss.

[quote Lizzie523]@lockdownalli how is it childish? I have been employed to do a job. Someone else is now doing my job. I have tried to work with this person but been ignored. What do you suggest?[/quote]
You talk to the client? He's paying for a service you are not being allowed to provide.

I just want to know what all these careers people on mumsnet have that always involve "clients" and "important projects".

@Lizzie523

Yes well precisely *@WelshMoth*, my manager saw a badly written article go out and said she wondered who had done it. Not me! I have even suggested doing the editing ans proofreading part before publication. My suggestion was ignored.

Absolutely I think I have to go to my line manager to review the contract because the goalposts have majorly changed.

Well surely his boss will eventually notice that the standard of work is unacceptable?

Who is your actual client? ie the person signing off payment/milestones or the new person who can't spell? If they are the person talking about long term relationship and not the new person then it is particularly important to keep a paper trail of discussions, decisions and accountability for content delivered. Otherwise your company name is attached to poor quality products reflecting on you/your company.

If you don't own the contractual relationship your side talk to your LM/account lead to get a steer in how to manage this, you can suggest that a slight change in agreed scope would have you review in an advisory capacity (advice documented) rather than own the output to help develop the internal capability since you have a long term relationship...

I just want to know what all these careers people on mumsnet have that always involve "clients" and "important projects".

Outsourcing and professional services are a huge part of the economy. Companies contract out specialist jobs to specialist agencies as its often cheaper or more efficient than having the full range of skills in house. Work is often project-based and depending on value can be both important to the client from a business perspective and important to the survival of an agency.

OP has said she works in a marketing agency.