Overlooked for a promotion

Dear Caroline,

My supervisor has been on and off sick for the last one year. In all the times that he is away, I have stepped in and acted in the role. My supervisor recently resigned because of health reasons. To my surprise, the HR team advertised the job in the public domain. This has affected the level of my motivation and engagement and I feel that my employer has not valued my contribution to success.

Stephen

Hello Stephen, I am sorry to hear that you are in a place of disengagement when you have supported the organisation during difficult times. You can manage this matter in a number of ways. The first is to speak with your human resource manager so that you can fully appreciate the rationale for recruiting externally as opposed to looking for talent internally within the organisation.  While it is good practice to recruit internally first, it is not mandatory.  My advice is that you also prepare for the meeting with the HR manager. The focus of the session is to understand the process and not become emotional and “upset”, even though it is upsetting.  As you prepare for the meeting, I suggest you go back to the periods where you were “acting”. As you collate this data, make sure you document how long you were acting, what tasks you were managing and critically, and the successes that were achieved while you were working with the teams. The presentation of data and information provides a platform for discussion.  Manage your expectations, having the discussion does not mean that you will automatically get a positive response. Be open to receiving feedback that may include maintaining the decision made. If the decision to recruit externally is maintained,  I advise you to submit your application and go through the process. You have an advantage given your knowledge of the role and the organisation, it is an opportunity that should not be wasted.

While you have the advantage, please do not take it for granted; rather, take the time to submit a good application. Make sure you take time to re-write your CV so that sit speaks to the job advert.  Think about the activities you managed and managed well, and what new interventions you introduced that were successful. Many people only think about demonstrating their technical competence, taking time to show your behavioural competence, and be ready to talk about aspects of your personal growth that are equally important.   Think about questions that you would ask the panel as well as take time to practice psychometric tests (many of these are now free online). Prepare for the interview.

Good Luck

Caroline Mboijana,

Managing Director, The Leadership Team (U)  [email protected]