Didn't get offered secondment

[Lightuptheroom]

I work in a small team, I've worked there for nearly 6 years. Progression in the team is very poor as vacancies rarely occur or they just offer the role to someone directly. Recently a secondment and a permanent position became vacant at the same time which I'm well qualified for. I interviewed for the role (for some reason they seem to have split the two roles so that you only actually interviewed for the permanent position OR the secondment, not both - exactly the same role just different length of contract)
I received a phone call yesterday that I didn't get the secondment and then later discovered they had offered it to a colleague from another team.
It's a niche role, I know for fact they the other colleague has no experience in what we do. They didn't consider me for the permanent position.
I don't know what to do. I now have to face the rest of my team and 2 people who will now be giving me instructions on something they know nothing about.
My managers attitude yesterday was that she wants to give feedback and eventually book a 1:1 to supposedly discuss 'development opportunities ' (unfortunately management speak for more workload disguised as professional development) I'm struggling with cost of living on the salary I'm on and as usual the union will be arguing about our pay rise until November.
Somehow I have to get my head around sitting in a 1:1 whilst she preaches at me (she unlike me is climbing the career ladder and earns over £60k so has very little insight into reality of people's lives)
So, how do I do this? Find another job ? I feel like I've been kicked in the teeth.
Paste a face on and get on with it?
I feel tired and extremely fed up.

It's hard though I can imagine, as it seems that any response to a request of training up and helping the new manager settle in possibly doing the role while they observe that's not ' oh of course! Whatever you/they ask and want me to do'. Will be met with negativity and you'll be seen as not a team player.

This is really good advice.

I know you're feeling tired and bruised, but you need to go and listen to understand what the gap is between your expectation and aspirations, and what they were/are looking for/what they can offer you. If you decide you don't want what they are offering you/don't want to develop in the way they are looking for then that's fine, but your options then are stick where you are or leave.

Have you looked for roles at other companies?

Look for another job elsewhere.

You said the opportunities are limited there anyway, so don't restrict your career progression.

They probably think you'll never leave, so show them your worth more and refresh your CV.

Without going into boring detail about my work history, I know just how you feel. I just couldn't bring myself to train someone I knew would then take my position. It was a ruddy insult. I was 'only admin' too so I walked.

I don't know what to do. I now have to face the rest of my team and 2 people who will now be giving me instructions on something they know nothing about.

Why do you think someone would be put in a role that they don't know ANYTHING about?

As HR Professional that doesn't make sense. They would want someone capable of doing the role or at least a large percentage of it.

Perhaps they see the potential of the individual to learn quickly if they meet other areas of the person specification and have experience in the main responsibilities.

I know you’re just venting whimsy hurt so please ignore the people confusing your venting with your attitude at work therefore wanting to take you down a peg more when you’re already down. I understand the need to freely vent and process next steps.

No one on here will understand or know what it is like at your company, with the people you work for and confuse it with their suspicions and experience.

Apart from that some excellent advice on here.

As hard as this is (and it does sound hard), I think you need to look externally. If your manager had wanted you to do training etc, then she would have made it happen. She’s already shown you that she’s all talk and no action, so believe her! (If it was me, I’d say as much to her in a 1 to 1 but then I’m a bolshy cow). There’s no point in torturing yourself with ‘why?’, so just put the energy into looking for another job.

Oh I had something similar. I’d done a role as secondment, then they advertised it as a permanent role and gave it to someone else! Later that same women went on to be my manager, it was very difficult. I had little respect for her (not because of that, because when we worked at the same level, she was very lazy and did the bare minimum). She also refused to put me forward for training I was interested in, she did want me to do some training in my own time that would increase my workload but not improve my pay!
In the end, I chose to leave and go sideways into a new role and eventually found a promotion opportunity elsewhere. I’m far happier, got training on the job. Try to go in to the feedback with an open mind but I would utilise the feedback for job interviews elsewhere. A manager like your’s who isn’t sending you on training and will just keep piling on your responsibilities is unlikely to promote you because she knows you’re reliable in your current role. Start job searching to move somewhere where they’ll value you more.

That gives the minions conversations like 'I'd like to develop in...and I've identified this...and the advantages would be...'

'We don't need that. We need you to do the inputting and filing'

'We can't afford you to take time off for training courses'

'As your manager, I have the sign-off on training and I need you here, so the answer is no'

'You don't have experience in this area.'

'We're too short-staffed.'

'I'm already out on training/secondment, so you have to be here'

'Aren't you being rather presumptious in giving me your proposals? I tell you what we need and what we need is for you to keep doing what you're doing'

'Would love to give you a payrise, but you don't do any tasks at a higher grade. Oh, you do? Well, they're not in your job description, so they don't count'

In short, you've been given your place and you're expected to stick to it and not get ideas above your station.

Apply externally, look at other LAs, find somewhere else.

OP I’m wondering if we work for the same company as this has happened at our company too. Your story is very very similar to my colleagues from this week.

Let me tell you from the outside looking in is that the CEO, HR, the person who interviewed you and made the decision will have all gone down in people’s opinions. Everyone will be suss of them all. They’ll all be disliked and your colleagues will be worrying that it’ll happen to them as well. And eventually trust and respect will diminish if not already.

This is the sort of thing that starts a wave of resignations. Then, HR will announce they’re “shocked” that people weren’t happy and that they’re struggling to employ skilled people.

Sorry if that is a load of garbled nonsense - I’m super sleep deprived with a banging headache but I wanted to tell you that this will affect your whole team. And that ultimately you’re undervalued and it’s time for a new beginning in another company

People do shit like that to others in jobs all the time. I know it hurts and we cry if we have to. You have been very brave, are brave, to be able to consider paste a face and get on with it.

What do you want to do really? I cannot imagine working in a office politics situation. It must be draining and joy stealing if there is constant bitchiness going on.

I was just being lied to about my performance ! ( lol, cleaning job with some added other tasks ) and said the opposite of what I was told just three weeks ago and told to improve this and that aspects of the performance and can I guarantee that and they " want to give me a chance". I know they are a viper's den if they lie to me in the face , same person saying two opposing things to me, why I even consider trying harder for them.

There are thousands of jobs right now out there and I do not need ( currently ) to work for shelter , bills or food. So I said: ok, as you wish, thank you and good bye.

However, I messaged the person who lied to me in private because I believe that these things will catch with him and that everyone will reap what they sow.

If your salary is too low for you anyway, what are you losing of looking for a new job?!

Oh gosh, this exact same thing happened to me recently. Been doing the job for 10 years, dept ran like clockwork as I organised everything and trained staff. But I'm quiet and unassuming (feedback I got in my 121 when I didn't get promoted to team leader) and they feel I won't command respect. Even though I've been doing it for ages (line manager on long term sick, now resigned) and all of the team do respect and value my knowledge, advice and help. They wanted someone more dynamic.

I now answer to a much younger person with no experience of the role and dept. Every time he goes to our superiors with a query they say ask lolo, so I am still running things but not got the job title or pay.

However I have just got another job but don't need to start for 3 months and only need to give 1 month notice in my current one. So I've started pushing back and saying it's not my job to train anyone or sort out problems. Managers can't fathom why quiet, unassuming me won't play ball anymore. It's giving them a headache as staff are now complaining to them they need guidance from team leader (they agree with my stance though).

I must add it's not the fault of the person they appointed - in fact I feel sorry for him as he has been dumped in the deep end and expected to get on with it.

lo, in an ideal world only
once someone decides to ruin your confidence in a job, it usually is ruined ( for that job) unless you have extra thick skin or a one of these, the emotionless

Exactly this. Start looking for something else asap. Why should you train the person above you up? Stay here and they'll expect you to stay in your lane forever.

Couldn’t agree more

I think the likelihood is simply that the other person did a better interview and probably prepared more for it.

I would take a deep breath and arrange a 121 book it today and take a note pen and paper and write down her feed back.

I would suggest you are being blocked from moving teams as you are an asset they can’t afford to lose. It happens.

Look for another role, companies are now paying higher wages - it’s worth moving.

I think you are taking this too personally.

The interview result will have been based on the scores on the answers.

Did you give good answers or just expect to be handed the role?

@Lightuptheroom If nothing else getting the feedback puts your manager in the position of having to have that conversation with you and to some extent justifying their decision. It's also a chance to express your desire to progress explicitly and perhaps ask them how you can do that/put together an action plan. If you are looking to leave it will also be useful to get the feedback on how you interview to help you prepare for future interviews.

I really hope you get some useful feedback that can help you find a better opportunity.