Colleague been given promotion but this was never advertised

[Tart306]

I've nothing against her, she is a nice person and is good at her job, it's more to do with our manager.

The woman has been given the role of assistant team leader by default, but this was never mentioned to any of us or advertised anywhere. She got the role almost instantly too and now deputises for the manager. Don't know if she's being paid extra but not my business, but I'm sure a few of us would like to progress and can't all do it.

As I say it's not the woman's fault, I just don't understand why she's suddenly deputy manager, this is the Civil Service too. Maybe she asked the manager if there were any opportunities to progress, but a few of us have also said the same.

So she leads a lot of our meetings now, organises rotas etc. And I'm just thinking this opportunity was never made available elsewhere.

If it's civil service and she's being paid more it needs to be advertised, if she's just deputising for the manager to get some experience that's fine and should be offered to anyone who wants it for career development experience. Does she have a new title or are you just seeing her as the assistant team leader by the with she is doing? (I recruit in the CS)

Is she TPp into that position rather than actually having permanent promotion?

She doesn't have a new title as far as I know, and yeah definitely fair enough if she wants to gain further experience, the opportunity wasn't ever discussed or presented to anyone else though.
She got it within a week of being in the team too.

I was offered my Assistant Head post (secondary school) without it being advertised. I had assumed this wasn't the done-thing in schools, but happened to me. It is a school that significantly struggles to recruit (due to physical location socio-economic factors), this could have been a factor.

If she’s not been there long I see your point but I also don’t really understand the modern “advertise promotion” thing. Our work does it and you have to apply and interview etc but everyone knows who’s job it’s going to be and that’s fine - shouldn’t it be the bosses choice who is promoted based on their performance generally, not how well you can perform in a half hour interview.

I personally think promotion possibilities should be discussed in appraisals and a “reward” for doing well.

She got it within a week of being in the team too.

May well have been discussed in interview. Possibly part of salery negotiations. If she had much more experience and capability than the role, expressed a desire to have greater scope in her role, that sort of thing.

We were all recruited via agency so there wasn't even an interview as such, this woman is not among the best performing on the team either. I'll never truly know I just find it a bit frustrating when the rest of us have to go through full application processes as it's supposed to be 'fair and open', yet some people are just given it immediately.

As in CS promotion doesn't really happen based on performance, not in my department anyway. I'm apparently a 'top performer' in my team yet I've been rejected for a couple of promotions because I only scored a 3 on the personal statement. As agency we aren't eligible for internal roles or EOIs either.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

We all joined the team at the same time and she isn't excelling compared to anyone else in terms of performance, she was given the assistant manager role within days of us all being on the team.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Post regraded?

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.

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.

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.

The problem is with around 20 of us and only 1 manager it might be tricky for many more of us to be delegated similar tasks. It's just one of those things, I'll carry on applying for higher up roles anyway.