AIBU I got bait and switched?

[Donotfitin]

I just stated my new role, and everything was absolutely fine. During the interview they asked me if I had experience doing “x” and I said yeah no problem, as sometimes I’d have to help with that.

So today, day 1 - it turns out it’s a proper hybrid role and nobody has a clear explanation. I don’t meet my manager until tomorrow quite late in the afternoon and the meantime HR has just sign posted me to my manager.

I was on a call with someone earlier today and the first thing she told me was that she knew it was a “hybrid role” which I did tell her that I was news to me as I know it was more a “helping hand” but I had a core role.

She then cut the call short, but offered to ask HR, and said I’d do that myself.

So AIBU that it’s bait and switch?

for reference I would given the situation still take the role even though it would technically be a downgrade for me.

No, job A could become a step up (if the company grows) but as it stands it’s my same old job I’ve been doing for 8+ years with a better pay but a worse title.

If it's tech no one will care about titles much. I have found they change quite a bit from org to org.

Experience and demonstrable benefit is what will be important. Aim for new hot skills of which being AI savvy is a must In any and all. Don't get stuck in an AI exposed area or a manager of that area

E.g front end and test automation are being heavily AI automated would look to move sideways with speed if I was in those.

Not in my side of tech (client facing) roles are pretty standard and also have very standard progression too.

Given what you've said it sounds like this is something similar to role was advertised as an account executive but it's actually 50/50 account executive and SDR. If it's a founding AE role where the idea is for a team to be built out (in time) underneath you then I wouldn't think that is particularly weird on a temporary basis, but bad that it wasn't discussed during the interview process. Are there existing employees in the more junior role?

You absolutely got it! Thank you so much!! And I’m actually a senior / enterprise AE.

and yes, there’s another lady in the junior role (who told me she was moving to a hybrid role too, but didn’t understand a thing about it!)

I understand the OP pretty well I think. When do you meet with your manager, OP?

In a couple of hours. Unfortunately she changed it from 30mins to 15mins :/

Okay, gotcha - glad I wasn't barking up the wrong tree! My take on this is it depends what was explicitly discussed in the interview process.

I am currently hiring for a Founding Enterprise AE/GTM lead role and initially expect them to source their own pipeline (i.e. do SDR type work) while we build the team out underneath them and figure out what roles we need e.g. SDR, Sales Ops, Solutions Engineers etc. However, that is being made explicitly clear to candidates during the hiring process and is time limited.

If you were hired as a Founding Enterprise AE on the basis that you would have an SDR, and now they're switching it out to you both sourcing your own pipeline, I think that's very poor form. I would however, go into the meeting with your new line manager very much in a discovery tone to understand how you'll work with the SDR. If you are told you'll both be doing SDR/AE work then I'd be openly surprised and question the change vs. job spec. I'd be concerned if they're doing a bait and switch on this that something similar would happen on the building out a team.

So explicitly this is what happened.

I interviewed with the (original) hiring manager, no mention of doing any SDR type tasks.

the next stage I interview with her manager (VP level) and tells me I would help (key word here) with SDR type tasks.

final stage is with the VP of another department (who actually own the SDR function). No mention of doing SDR type tasks, and I conversationally ask if many SDRs move to become AEs (she’s very surprised by the question, and even asked if I wanted to be an SDR, I just replied that I was curious and it was basic chit chat).

offer comes in, and it turns out my line manager is the last VP I interviewed with, I ask why and I’m not given any concrete reason. Do some research etc… and the conclusion is that it’s an amber flag at best, but probably nothing negative.

So first day arrives and I ask HR, “why do I report to this VP instead?” And was given a slightly more concrete answer all positive so all good!

then I meet with the existing local SDR and she tells me she’s being transitioned to this new SDR/AE role but that she has no clue about being an AE and that nothing has been explained to her. She also tells me she doesn’t think there’s enough workload as an SDR and why she thinks she’s being pushed to becoming an AE.

then I meet with who is the local SDR manager and she’s the one who tells me it’s a mixed role. To which I reply that it was complete news to me, but I was aware I was supposed to help the function.

I ask HR who then tells me to ask my manager. I’m meeting my manager later today but only for 15mins….

Crossover is usually used to describe a mix of two roles.

Hybrid usually refers to working home/office mix.

Never in my entire life I’ve heard crossover used in that context…. I’ve heard it in media or in cars!

I would give your manager the courtesy of explaining what is going on.

But a couple of jobs ago I was told it was one thing and they wanted me to do the opposite so I left to go elsewhere in the business. It's a horrible feeling.

I’ve got at update in case anyone is interested :)

So I finally spoke with my manager. And yes it is a dual role, but nobody really knew about it for quite some time.

When she interviewed me, she didn’t even know I was supposed to report to her. She was super apologetic about it and explained the reasoning behind it.

So for all terms and purposes it is a bait and switch, but I guess I should make the most out of it, and just think that my salary is quite good and the company's product is something I believe in and I really love some of my colleagues.

Am I over experienced for this role? 100%! But at least there’s a blueprint that another region followed, so my next step is to get in touch with her so I can have a similar career path as hers.

It’s not ideal, but at least she acknowledged it, and that does make things better.

That’s interesting. How often do you expect to check in with your manager?

Weekly. I don’t agree with some of the logic for certain things, but I’m speaking with a regional leader tomorrow and will give him my opinion, and he can take it or leave it.

Sounds like they're just trying to fob off the new recruit with some extra work. You said in interview you would be happy to help with it, but establish the boundaries from the get go, and refer to your JD.

Well my JD is worthless because that’s not the role I’m doing.

????

The role I interviewed for and the role I’ll be doing are essentially different, thus the JD is worthless (at least the original one).

All JDs have some line, somewhere, about picking up other duties as deemed necessary. Even higher ups have it.

Exactly and mine does.

So you were hired to do one role on significantly higher pay than the role you are actually doing would attract?
Like, being paid as a finance director, but just working in credit control?

Yea, but in your example I would still have responsibilities of a finance director.

Thanks for the update! I'd be a bit concerned about company processes from this, but it's a good sign that your new manager handled it well on a personal level. Has the other element of the role (building out a team underneath you) changed too or is that still the plan?

I do think it's becoming more common in startups for people to be expected to source their own pipeline to avoid the misaligned incentives of SDRs booking volume over quality and AEs blaming SDRs for lack of quality/volume.

We’re technically not a startup! (2000 employees and 100 million ARR) .

I had a chat with one of the local leaders and he agreed I would be being wasted with that setup. So he said he’d have a chat so we can maximise my talents and maybe do the reverse of what my manager suggested.

I find it bizarre but not terrible, and most importantly salvageable.