Only Person Not Promoted

[ZekeZeke]

I've been working in the same organisation for 8 years, manager level.Part time but always work extra time. Have email on my phone, attend meetings outside normal hours.

So today a company meeting was held. 80% of the staff are new (employed this past year).The remaining 20% -spread across different departments, were all promoted today (or have been in the past year). All except me (and 2 other people).

The CEO announced that if you were going to be promoted you would already know

I haven’t had my review yet. I'm due to have my appraisal this week.I'm very happy for everyone promoted but I'm absolutely gutted. I feel slighted. Invisible.

I feel like I've no profile.I work hard, very hard. And to be overlooked like this has really knocked me for six.I'm too emotional at the moment. I cried all the way home and haven't stopped.I know it's pathetic to be crying but honesty I'm heartbroken I've not been recognised.

My Senior Manager is very factual and doesn't like emotions. So when i meet with them this week I need to be strong, decisive and basically what?

how do I approach this?

Every single review I've had has been exceeding expectations lWhat do I ask?

1. What is the criteria for promotion and how to I achieve this

1. Do I ask why wasn't I promoted?

1. What do I ask?

-I've taken on a lot of additional work (we had an increase in customers, so more work).
-I implemented a new system, did all the testing along with my existing role.
-I trained new emoyees.
-I've attended external and internal training.
-I stay behind for a weekly meeting outside my hours.

All of that would increase your chance of promotion at my company but none (even all of it together) would guarantee it.

Especially the first one - flip it, “oh we got more customers, but I didn’t bother doing any extra”. That’s surely the job you were recruited for? Training others can just mean you’re good at training or just the only one available to do it - I’ve had “training” from some very unpromotable people! Not accusing you of that, just saying that it doesn’t in itself stand out as a reason to promote. Attend training isn’t promotable if it’s the company skilling you for the role you’re already in.

The system implementation is really positive - but could be a sideways expansion of what you do.

You seem to be looking at promotion as a reward for doing your current job well - but promotion is because you’re the right person for the role you’re moving into. I work with people who are GREAT in their current role, happily do sideways extras and are very much valued - but, they aren’t ready for (and don’t want) the next level up.

What is it you actually want to progress?

Exceeding expectations in current role should deliver top of pay band salary increases, but not a promotion just because. You sound like you are “X Title” and want to be deemed “Senior X Title”. But is that actually a role there that’s valid? Or should you find your promotion going for “Y Title” instead?

Ask "Am I going to be promoted? "

they will feel obliged to explain a "no" answer.

Thank you. That's really helpful and I'm taking everything on board. You have made some really good points.
Doing an excellent job isn't criteria for promotion so I need to know what exactly the criteria is.

It's a better way of looking at it.
I'm getting a pay rise, I'm not sure what it is.
I had offered to officially increase my hours (as I'm working them anyway).

I've calmed down and will wait until my official review and discuss it calmly.

What is your company culture like with regards to promotion?

One company I worked for promoted people fairly regularly so if you hadn’t been promoted at least once in last two years then you would be classed as underperforming

Another company I worked for it was the complete opposite. Very unusual to be promoted within 3 years of starting. You had to request that you be considered for promotion and then if your manager agreed, you would be put on a talent list. Then it would be at least 18 months of essentially making your case to management. Nobody knew how many promotion spots there were each year so you never knew if you had been successful until the day all promotions were announced. Absolutely ridiculous culture and was one of the key reasons for people leaving.

Common theme between both though is that in each company the promotion path and progress would be openly discussed during regular 121 conversations.

Have you had any career conversations where promotion chances were discussed?

I've looked at last year's review, I exceeded expectations and I also asked for Career progression but said as I'm thr only person doing my role I'm not sure how I can be promoted.

In this case please ask what you can do to move into a different role which has a progression path.

Do you have regular 121 with your manager? An annual appraisal is not enough, you need more regular meetings to discuss and monitor your progress.

If everything goes well during your appraisal meeting please ask what is the progression path for your role. If there is none, ask what are other opportunities in the company and map out what behaviours/skills you have to demonstrate in order to get there.
Then schedule a monthly or bimonthly meeting to review the progress with your manager. In the meantime make a note of everything relevant from the promotion POV i.e. great feedback from the client, additional tasks etc. Focus on tasks which are developing skills relevant for promotion, as the previous poster said, it's nice you're leading trainings, but if your role has no perspective of having direct reports, then they don't aid your personal progress.

After each meeting make a note and send it to your manager.

What does promotion actually mean in your company?
In some places, getting an above inflation or above company average pay rise is a promotion!
Where I am now, all job have a grade, so it’s clear that a promotion is moving onto another grade.
Another place I worked at just started you with the tag Junior X then X then Senior X - but it was meaningless, very little more money and done to keep people happy with a new title every couple of years but no change in actual job. Senior X would get the more important or more complex clients, but there really wasn’t that much difference.

Have you actually applied for a promotion or just expecting one to be offered? They might not even realise that you do want to progress if you haven't actually made it clear?

I just enrolled as a mature student - to make it abundantly clear (to myself at least) that I will not accept being overlooked ever again professionally!

I would take your job description and demonstrate clearly, tangibly and factually how you're meeting that then going over and beyond.

Then I would make it very clear that I was expecting a pay rise and a promotion and would ask why that has not been the case in this round, and would would need to be done to secure it in the next round.

After which I'd decide whether to stay or leave.

Misleading headline

You said you're the only person not promoted then you later say there's also two more people not promoted

I know how shit this feels.

Given you think you're performing at a high level, I suspect someone doesn't like you. Not necessarily your boss, but someone more senior than you. Promotions are often highly political.

Leave. Even if you're promoted next week, you'll always feel hard done by. Might as well take a new job now.

I was going to bet you have not really pushed for promotion but you say you have asked for progression. You also say they had said there wasn't progression beyond your current role if I'm interpreting you correctly. In which case did you ask what progression there is outside of your role and what you'd have to do to achieve it?

Usually to get promoted you have to be making it very clear long before the appraisal what you want to achieve what they expect you to do and the evidence you need to prove it. You can't just show up at an appraisal and agree you've worked hard and that your work is good and expect promotion.

It sounds like you need to brush up your cv and look elsewhere if the current role hasnt got prospects. In the meantime look at what other new skills you could gain in your current company to bolster your cv. Now is the time to step up saying you want more responsibility and new challenges with a view to obtaining x promotion by x date (be specific!) And if it doesn't transpire, move on!

Looking at what you've said you've done for the year it's not clear how much of that is your existing role and how much is agreed upon extras you said you'd take on with a view to expanding your role and progressing.

I don't think working extra hard and taking on new customers is as valued as you'd think. I should imagine its seen as you doing your job.

The system implementation sounds like something that would look good on your cv.

training newbies is core job description but on your cv badge it as playing an essential role contributing to the growth of your team providing training to x employees over x time period and the positive feedback you had and positive impact of that work.

Was the internal and external training additional to your role or valuable soft skills?

Thank you for that.
I've taken on a lot of additional work (we had an increase in customers, so more work).
I implemented a new system, did all the testing along with my existing role.
I trained new emoyees.
I've attended external and internal training.
I stay behind for a weekly meeting outside my hours.

does promotion come with a salary increase? I kept not being promoted for the most stupid things that were, frankly, excuses. Years later (when i had finally had a couple of promotions) the MD who kept turning me down at the time admitted that a) he was wrong and b) because they kept telling me that if i wanted to get the promotion i had to "step up to the role" and i was doing that and more, they didn't need to promote me because i was doing the work (others weren't and they got promoted so hey ho. All men. Or women with no children...)

so at one round i just decided to work my hours. Every question above my pay grade was referred up to the ones who got promoted over me. At one point the MD actually asked me what the fuck i was playing at since I'd always done those things. So i just told him: managers do the manager jobs, i do the gruntwork. And fuck all he could do about it. And then he was moved away so that was nice for me.

What I'm saying is, you are right to ask for clear guidance on what you are and aren't doing that is excluding you from promotion, and take it from there. And if you don't particluarly love where you work? look elsewhere.

Did you ask to be promoted? He could otherwise assume you are happy at your level. I learned the hard way people are unlikely to promote you with you owning the promotion process and not just waiting for it to happen or not.

How do you know you've not been promoted and how do you know two other people have not been?

You say you feel invisible. Have you read the book by Gill Whitty Collins about why men win at work? One of the things she says is that women work "under an umbrella" - ie they do their work but their manager doesn't really know what they are doing. Whereas men apparently shout about what they are doing all the time, so when it comes to promotion, their managers know what they've been doing. It's worth reading!

have a look at Why Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office too, that's an eye opener (even if it doesn't all apply to you)

Agree that in regard of promotions - self-promotion is the way to go. When you have to make a decision say to yourself "what would a man do?"
Don't be the office mum, don't be the one who always does birthday collections etc etc.

Yes that was another point I was going to make (and another book) - I will come back if I can remember the name of it but it was something to do with the No Club. It was about not doing non-promotable work like making tea - women tend to do "office wife work" and don't get recognised for it, even though it's often essential for the workplace to function.

Of course, a decent boss would know what their underlings were doing, and know if they were doing a good job and were good enough to be considered for promotion, and would ask them if they wanted to be considered. They wouldn't wait for them to tell them how wonderful they are. If the roles aren't there, you can't be promoted, but if they are, your boss should be looking out for you and telling you what's available and what you might be ready for in a year's time etc.

Found it! www.amazon.co.uk/No-Club-Putting-Womens-Dead-End-ebook/dp/B09QCDLSK9

They wouldn't wait for you to tell them how wonderful you are!

You were right!
I had a zoom today, not an easy conversation as I was emotional.
I'm excellent at my job but....not being promoted.
I asked what the criteria is for promotion. I was told that's a good question but it wasn't answered. So I asked again.
Everything I've done is considered part of my role.
People who were promoted one increased sales, one travelled and grew the business another recruited the 60% new team .
I absorbed the extra customers, Was part of the implementation team re new system and trained people but basically that's my role. So tough

I was meant to quote Testina post, not mine!