BootsnAll Travel Community

Ok, I have a quandary at work and really need your objectivity.

Two years ago I was promoted at work. This promotion involved a jump into the "management" level at work, although not everyone in this level is a manager. I had to submit a resume and officially interview for the job, stuff that would not happen with a standard internal transfer. Another person on my team was promoted to the same position at the same time, and he had to jump through the same hoops. After our promotions, we were each assigned a couple of direct reports by our manager, people who would report to us and for whom we would do all the usual management duties that go along with that, year-end evaluations, salary increases, etc.

Ok, fast forward two years later. We reorganized. My old team got split into two pieces. I went to one team with my people, and my fellow manager dude went to a different team with his people. My old manager went to a different team. My new team is almost 30 people, so my new manager has decided to split us into three little teams and recently announced that anyone who is already a team lead will just continue as such in one of the three team lead positions she wants to establish. No need to interview or jump through any hoops, since we're already team leads. Well, we thought there were two team leads already in existence, myself and another lady from another team. But it turns out, after checking with HR, that I'm not actually a team lead. I never was. I was promoted to be a "level 5" (mgmt level) but I'm not a manager. I shouldn't have been doing evaluations. I don't have any direct reports. I've been doing the job for two years, and apparently it's not even my job. So I have to re-interview for my own job now!

I've been trying to convince myself that I'm ok with it. It's just a paperwork snafu, and I'll get the job, and maybe even another raise, so who cares, right? Maybe it'll even work in my favor (getting a second raise and all). But it's galling me. I can't help but think that my old manager, the one who "promoted" me, totally pulled the wool over my eyes!

So far I've only discussed this with my new manager, who told me that the re-interviewing process is the easiest way to make things right, and that she's not worried about it, and neither should I be. The job posting went out today, and I have a week to submit my resume for it.

So I've been pondering a couple different options:

Should I go to HR and ask for an official explanation? (I'm terrified of those people)
Should I go to my old manager who "promoted" me and ask for her explanation? (almost as terrifying - she's a nutcase)
Should I say anything to the other manager dude who got "promoted" at the same time? I have no idea if his promotion was legit.
Or should I just stay quiet, trust my new manager, re-apply for my job, and not worry about it?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or advice. I feel so weirded out and confused right now....

Wow, that's a bummer.

My real question would be: who's job WERE you doing? Who should have been doing the evaluations and having the people report to him/her?

But, as far as whether to say something... if you got a raise with your initial increase in duties, and will get another one after this interview (with no increase in duties it seems like??), then I'd just go with it. There's no point in rocking the boat for something that's only on paper, you know?

That's my two cents

What a weird situation.

My initial thought is that investigating with HR or your old manager won't lead to any satisfaction. They may get you out of interviewing again, but that is all I can see happening. It seems that one of them screwed you over before and won't want to fess up. Maybe it was an honest mistake. My guess is that they still aren't going to go back and give you a retroactive raise.

I am working in management and know how hard it is to find good people and am sure you will get the job if you interview. The key is to do what is best for you. Believe me they are looking out for themselves and so should you. If you have a good paying job that you like, or can stand, then make the best of it. Save some money and go travel.

You've already done the first thing I would do by making sure that your new manager knows what is going on. I would also talk to the other manager dude. Perhaps let him know what is happening with you as a heads up. If you find out it was just you they did this to you can always pocket that as discrimination if things turn sour. Sorry to bring that up, but like I said you have to take care of yourself.

Let us know how it goes.

quote:

stay quiet, trust my new manager, re-apply for my job, and not worry about it?

That is it in a nutshell.
You got put into this situation unfairly. Put it in the category of, shit happens. Make the best of it. Don't complain. You have a resume done already. Now you have more to put on it. Smile, don't complain, don't worry.
People who count will notice how well you handled it in ways that can only help you in the future.

I think you should voice your concerns. If you say nothing, people might try it again.

You should ask for your job profile. Its basically a HR thing that will give all the details about you...address, marital status, and then information on your grade, title, etc etc. Pretty much a summary.

Also ask for what Grade scale are you...each company has that , you should know what category you are in. Always ask at review time as well...what it takes to get to the next level.

You should ask your new boss this..forget about the old and forget about HR since its the past. Let your new boss handle the mess.

In general the Paycheck you should check your rate per hour...usually that is the one that changes after promotion and raises. So dig back into your old pay stubs and double check.

I was given my promotion this way as well because I was already managing people and I should not have. So they figured they should just promote me. Also the next time I got one..it was all hush hush..they did not want others to know that I was promoted. They knew I deserved it but they did not want to rock the department boat.Then the last time with the same company my boss looked at my grade level and money and decided that i was not being payed market rate and changed all that.

Corportate America is strange.