What went pear-shaped?

[CrackedActor]

I've been with my current company for 10 years. In that time there has never been an opportunity for promotion. Two weeks ago one came up and I applied. It was an internal post, so only certain people went for it. I have been very happy in my job but recently longed for more responsibility (I previously had a more senior position but that's a long time ago...) I had my interview today, I know I did very well because I've been here before and I've managed a lot of change, several projects and improved (very drastically) team performance. I lost out to the other 2 people who went for the role - one has 25 years less experience than me and the other 10 years less. Neither have the senior management experience I have and one is being performance managed owing to unprofessional behaviour from an investigation i was asked yo conduct. I am beyond gutted. It's such a slap in the face given the very senior tasks I've recently (over the past two years) I've been asked to manage. I've tried to look for another post over the past year but have not managed to get an interview (mostly through agencies.) One friend has told me my age is certainly against me, another has told me that I should not have given up my previous (18 years ago) senior post - for clarification, I was in a very bad home situation, had a year old baby and little support. I asked for feedback on my interview 'your interview was excellent, just not as good as the other two.' I am so upset I'm not sure what to do.

Ah ok, apologies for misunderstanding.

That's what I mean, it clearly isn't your ability in question.

I wonder if it's just a case of another person's personality fits the team better. That's usually a deciding factor when there are multiple capable people.

That's not to say others wouldn't decide differently. Not getting a job isn't often reflection on you, it can be more about the interviewer and what they're looking for.

Chin up.

sounds like potential discrimination. And also like you need to look for a new job, sorry OP. Is there a manager or more senior person you can have a bit of a confidential chat with? To express how upset you are?

You've made yourself so indespensible it doesnt suit your employer for you to move up.

@EmmaDilemma5 unfortunately the only people more senior than me are my Manager, who was in the panel and the CEO. We outsource our HR and the only people allowed to contact them are my Manager and the CEO.

@fluffylampbear weirdly, this morning, i accidentally pressed on my WhatsApp and the video evidence of unprofessional behaviour I was asked to investigate (one of the candidates who has got through to the second round is doing the unprofessional stuff in front of the team) popped up. I just thought, what in gods name🤷‍♀️

Actually, I suspect that they are getting higher level value from you already and that's why they haven't bothered to promote you. Push everything that is above your level towards the two who got the promotion. Cheerfully point out that it would have been something you could have helped them with if you had been promoted.

I think that a bunch of random strangers without any real knowledge guessing why you didn't get the job may be somewhat comforting in terms of confirming your position, but is meaningless in real terms. All the guesses, some of them, or none of them, may be correct.

The point is, what are you going to do / are able to do about it? In some places age may go against you even though it shouldn't. Being of childbearing age may be the "no" factor in another. Not being the best candidate in another. Sometimes they may simply "just not click with someone". Employers are all so very different, and if you feel that you want to move into a role that is different / has more responsibility, then you will never be able to second guess why you get or don't get roles - but you will have to apply for some!

Many decades ago I was given some advice by an older woman, and it sounds kind of weird, but I have always remembered it. "If you have been invited to the interview then you have already got the job - the interview is to find out how royally you can screw that up!" What she meant was that if you got as far as being interviewed then you have already shown them you have everything it takes and all of what they want to do the job. You've proved it or you wouldn't be there. So the interview is about how far down from "already got the job" you can slip. It actually gave me confidence to interview for a job that was WAYYYY out of my league - and to get it! And I have always gone through that confidence boost ever since because of what she told me. It's not about worrying about what might go wrong in the interview - it's about having the confidence to know you are already sitting pretty.

I've been on multiple interview panels and we have often interviewed people when we aren't sure if they're capable. Sometimes we invite wild cards if their application isn't clear enough to evidence if their experience is sufficient or if we think their experience MAY be transferable. Other times there aren't enough suitable candidates so we take a punt and see if anyone surprised us. Unfortunately it's not true that securing an interview means you're capable of doing the role.

In OPs example, it sounds like she's already doing much of the role so capability probably isn't the issue.

They don't need to promote you and pay you more to get you working at that level because you already are.

I've been where you are. It doesn't feel nice and you don't recover from it in terms of morale at this particular employer, but just hold on to the fact that you know you are good at your job and that there's something iffy at play with their decision. Apply for other jobs.

@Mamette wonder if I dodged a bullet - although me and my Manager do get on really well?
I've brought a lot to this role and the company and I've opened their eyes to pitfalls etc... I feel as if I've been 'abused' I nearly didn't rock up today but I have rent to pay and food to provide ....

In my experience, if you've been there that long, they also know your weaknesses (or think they do) and may be hoping someone newer will have strengths where you do not. Longevity in a job and doing it well are not always in your favour; as a previous poster said, they don't have to promote you to get you to do what they need: you are already doing it. Couple that with the fact they know you so well, and it does work against you. Which is not to say you did not deserve the new position you wanted.

One of those weaknesses has been working at a level higher than she's paid, so maybe OP needs to reassess that?

I was looked over for internal promotion 3 times at my last post - despite having easily the most experience and knowledge. One of them had even been given the interview questions to ensure they got it. I realised finally that I wasn't wanted as my face didn't fit and I was too mouthy (woman know your place...), so just left. Now have a lovely job with lovely people. It isn't worth it sometimes

@Mangolist I was not 'prompted' to expand on my answers but the weaker and less capable candidate was. 'I thought I had done shit, because all the of them on thf panel kept saying 'what about this or that? They asked me about xxx, which i had never heard of, but somehow we ended up talking about it. Im half your age, you know all about this and im going to be lording it over you mark my words' this is how they described their interview. How peculiar!

Is it possible affairs are being considered ?
@CrackedActor

Or someone has leverage over someone else

I'm going to be lording it over you mark my words'

they used those words? Let them fail. Make a really good papertrail for each and every contact you have with this person, to the "just to confirm what we discussed today" type of thing with cc to at least one other person if you can.

It is entirely possible they have gone with the "face fits, hungry for more" younger person, to save money.

But start looking around. Nobody needs this kind of atmosphere at work.

Lots of things are entirely possible - they may think the op is technically brilliant at her job but lacks the soft skills to work smoothly at a more senior level, (I know quite a few people like this - some are aware and acknowledge it some don’t) they may think she lacks the drive and determination to help the company grow, they may think she is closed to new ideas, she may run people up the wrong way, that she is unapproachable, lacks vision, has no fresh ideas. Who knows - they don’t want to share why they have decided she won’t get the job which is tough on the OP because she is filling the void they left with negativity.

It looks like you are already stepping up and they don’t want to pay you to do what you are already doing. We see it a lot in my profession.
Person steps up and goes above and beyond but doesn’t get the job when advertised as they are already working to that level for less pay. An absolute shitter when they then are expected to be managed by someone who has no idea and they have to teach them how to do the job.

The final straw for me was the last promotion which had clearly been earmarked for loud bloke type. All the questions were cleverly written so he could answer them much better as his part of the role we were both in at that time was slightly different. Glad to be out of it now, but at the time it was awful

look for another job xx