Is this office politics? What to make of this?

[Tammuz]

I work at a backoffice department of a major company in my country. And in that backoffice department, I belong to a group of four persons that occasionally does a particular task that the others of that backoffice department don't. The others are not educated in it, and don't have access to the specific programs necessary to do it.

And so this week it was decided that three of the original group, i.e everyone except me would be moved to other tasks, so only I would remain of the old group (or semi-group, as it was only relevant occasionally, as the particular task did appear on a semi-regular basis). So they would educate three other people to for that particular task, who along with me would do it on the semi-regular basis it occurs, keeping the group at four persons.

So it kinda floored me today that one of the new ones, let's call her E, was decided to be the head of this group. It has not been officially announced, but I have a very good working relationship with E, and she told me about this. I tried not to show any reaction, but she must have seen through me. She said something along the lines "I know how it must feel, you have been working here much longer than I have". Which is true, I have been working there since April 2016, she started in January this year.

And while I don't dislike E at all, she is very friendly to me (that's more than what can be said for lots of people who work at that place), but she has zero actual working experience in this particular task, and she is made the head of it straight away. It is not that she has any actual experience in that way either. Also she is very young, a few years above 20, whereas I and the newly educated persons are in their 30s or close to it, so she has no previous experience in managing other people either, something which could otherwise qualify people for such a position even if they have no previous experience of the particular task.

The most experienced person of the particular task left from the original group is me, as the others have never worked with it. And yet it will be someone completely inexperienced with it, who will be able to put on her CV this kind of managerial/directing role.

What to make of this?

(On the positive side, I'd rather be lead by E than by most of the others who work on that place.)

(And for clarification and emphasis, I am certainly not going to make any fuss of this to the management, but instead keep a good face.)

 

[thebeave]

Welcome to the wide wonderful world of Affirmative Action.

 

[Opoponax]

Hmm. Hard to say because you don't know what goes on behind the scenes. But what I have learned is that people will do incredibly sneaky and/or petty shit to screw you over. I'm sorry.

 

[Horatio Parker]

Its unclear, but my guess is that you are not considered leadership material. Or they're grooming this person and this is a just a good place to start.

When it's announced, you should ask if you were considered and if not why and if so why weren't you chosen. Be polite but put them on the spot.

 

[Keith&Co.]

I understand you're being deliberately vague about this task, so I don't know if my work environment has any bearing, but here goes.
Both at my current job and my previous, military career, the leaders' job is different from the person performing the tasks. My manager's job is to make sure I have the tools I need to perform my job. And to make sure I'm doing my job, to correct me when I'm not, to explain to other managers why I add 'in accordance with the prophecy' at the end of manpower estimates, that sort of thing.

Is it possible that you were both selected for the positions you hold, her doing admin, you doing The Task, due to both of you being the best choices for those two jobs? Your experience with The Task makes you the ideal choice to continue performing The Task...?

Like I said, hard to know exactly how much of The Task is E's job, but that's my first impression.

(And for clarification and emphasis, I am certainly not going to make any fuss of this to the management, but instead keep a good face.)

Well, yes, 'fuss' is bad.
But I assume that you guys have regular interface with the chain of command for performance evaluations?
That would be a good time to bring up, calmly, "I have questions." About the purpose and choices made in the restructuring, and what you need to do to be promoted in the future.
MAYBE you're more valuable to your employer where you're at, Tasking, and while they can't promote you, maybe they can pay you better for being the linchpin?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Its unclear, but my guess is that you are not considered leadership material. Or they're grooming this person and this is a just a good place to start.

When it's announced, you should ask if you were considered and if not why and if so why weren't you chosen. Be polite but put them on the spot.

Alternately, they can't promote him because they need him to do the job only he knows how to do.

 

[Horatio Parker]

Its unclear, but my guess is that you are not considered leadership material. Or they're grooming this person and this is a just a good place to start.

When it's announced, you should ask if you were considered and if not why and if so why weren't you chosen. Be polite but put them on the spot.

Alternately, they can't promote him because they need him to do the job only he knows how to do.

Such as training his supervisor.

 

[Tigers!]

Its unclear, but my guess is that you are not considered leadership material. Or they're grooming this person and this is a just a good place to start.

When it's announced, you should ask if you were considered and if not why and if so why weren't you chosen. Be polite but put them on the spot.

2nd this response. Be polite but firm.

 

[laughing dog]

Have you ever indicated an interest in this position? Maybe she had. I'd ask about it

 

[Tom Sawyer]

If this happened because someone is grooming her for leadership positions and this is what became available, then your best course is to do your job well and help her out. Then when she gets moved to other leadership positions in the company, her current role becomes available and you can step into it. You do need to make sure to indicate to her and to her bosses that this is something you want, however, so they don't pass you over again. It could have been that they just didn't think of you.

 

[Rhea]

If this happened because someone is grooming her for leadership positions and this is what became available, then your best course is to do your job well and help her out. Then when she gets moved to other leadership positions in the company, her current role becomes available and you can step into it. You do need to make sure to indicate to her and to her bosses that this is something you want, however, so they don't pass you over again. It could have been that they just didn't think of you.

This advice is good, IMHO because you say you don't want to make a fuss and change this, therefore you go forward with the new knowledge that
A) there is now a supervisor for this task group and
B) you know the one who will be recommending the next person to succeed to it.

and you could even say, "Look, I would like to have that job when you are ready to move on. I'll do everything I can to make you succeed as manager - and I hope you'll observe that I'm demonstrating and understanding of the position, so you will have a sound recommendation to give."

 

[BH]

Everyone has given pretty good advice. At this point there is no changing the situation even though I am sure it has peeved you quite a bit. One question I have is how big is the town you live in? I live in a city of 20,000 and there is a lot of "you hire my relative/promote my relative and I'll do it for your relative" where I live. I know because people are always trying to make such deals with me. It may be someone promoting the young lady might have someone in their family working for her relative and they worked something out behind the scenes.

Another thing it could be is an issue of pay. You seem to be the more skilled and have been there longer. Maybe they promoted her because they figured she would take it at a lesser pay than you would have wanted.

To be honest it could be anything.

My advice is do what others have suggested---ask politely if you were considered for the position and if so what you would need to do to be qualified for the next go round (assuming the critique is credible and not some just made up reason) and if they act like they are not interested in promoting you in the future find another place to work.

 

[Tammuz]

Thank you for the replies everyone!

Actually I don't think I will ask the management about it, because they might not take that well. I don't think she applied for it in particular, I think they simply decided to make that group more formal (which it never was before) and put her as the head of it. Again, I have noting against E, quite the contrary. It's just that it will feel weird to occasionally be headed by a kiddo who is very inexperienced with it. So I'm wondering what might be going on.

I work as a contractor at that company, I am not employed there. The way it works in Sweden is that there are pretty strict employment laws which make companies not want to permanently employ people, so the companies round that by enlisting labor hire companies to fill their positions with contractors that they can easily get rid off if need be, as opposed to permanent employees.

E is not a permanent employee either, but she does not work for the labor hire company. Rather, she is on a temporary contract directly for the company. The states that if you have been on temporary contract for a total length of two years for the same company, then it automatically turns into a permanent employment. Unless they really, really want to keep E in the company, they will make sure her contract is not renewed so that her total length as a temporary employee is more than two years, but that is still I think almost a year ahead in time (she has worked as a temporary employee for the company in other departments before she came here).

So it's not that it affects the salary, at least not immediately. It's not a formal position that will appear when you look up her in the company portal. At least I don't think it is.

As for the size of my city, I live in Stockholm which in its metropolitan areas has more than 2 million inhabitants (a fifth of the national population). So I don't think it's nepotism in this particular case.

I hope this was not too ranty!

 

[Horatio Parker]

A couple of points.

First, that you raised the point at all suggests you want the title. If so, allowing the incident to pass could decrease the likelihood that you'll be considered in the future. IOW addressing the issue demonstrates leadership. Doing so professionally demonstrates ability. Management likes people who proactively address problems competently. That that might not be for you needn't be a reflection on you as a person.

Second, just as a possibility to be considered, your decision to remain silent could've been foreseen.

 

[T.G.G. Moogly]

Second, just as a possibility to be considered, your decision to remain silent could've been foreseen.

Agreed. Game Theory is real.

 

[steve_bank]

Sounds likem routine office politics. That is life in the fast lane for you. Some learn to cope, some do not.

 

[Tammuz]

Sounds likem routine office politics. That is life in the fast lane for you. Some learn to cope, some do not.

I guess so. I will have to look and think ahead, because one day I will certainly be out of that place!

 

[steve_bank]

Sounds likem routine office politics. That is life in the fast lane for you. Some learn to cope, some do not.

I guess so. I will have to look and think ahead, because one day I will certainly be out of that place!

The only way to deal with it is have confidence in yourself, and knowing when to dig your heels in and fight back. If you do not fight for yourself no one else will. Good luck.