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Management Blocking Career Transfers

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by ron vought

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A corporation refuses to allow transfers into other departments for which I am qualified presently employs me.

Prior employment with this corporation 15 years ago, I was engaged within telecommunications.

Having no formal education within Information Technology, I’ve enrolled in and successfully passed many distance learning courses and third party certification exams.

I continue to learn, read, study and plan to take on additional education as time and finances allow.

I own a part-time sole-proprietorship, working with both board-level electronics troubleshooting and repair home and business PC’s and small business networks having received several awards of merit for professional business operations.

During thelast 4 years, I have applied for four technical positions; two for help desk technician positions and two telecommunication positions,was interviewed several times by key staff personnel within the IT department for each and came out confident that I had the job.

When I was called in for my last interview I was informed that I would have to continue to function within the same third shift department, continue working all weekends, all holidays. I then would work what would have been normal day hours, performing my telecommunications duties.

When the IT department manager caught wind of this, he pulled me aside and told me that with hours like these they could not award me the position. That was the entire purpose to this plot as wasconcieved by my managers.

I am told by my “managers” that they are trying to “develop me”, and from what I can tell, it is only to serve their own selfish purposes. Niether one of these two persons, the supervisor nor the department director, have ever bothered to tell me why and for what purpose I am being developed.
Since the IT market is so poor at present, how do I go about seeking the position

4 replies

by thechas

It sounds to me like you have made yourself irreplaceable in the eyes of your present supervisors.

If your working 3rd shift, and ALL weekends and Holidays, they know that they cannot find ANYONE else who will work for them as you are!

You need to find the 'balance' between refusing extraordinary duties, and keeping your job.

Once your supervisors learn that they cannot rely on you to be at their "beck and call", it will be easier for them to let you switch to a different department.
Find out how much 'extraordinary' time the other department staff members are putting in.
You should not need to 'put-up" with working ALL the extra times.

Another thought, are you compensated for your extra time?
If not, it sounds like you are worth 1 1/2 to 2 people to your supervisors. No wonder they won't let you move to another department.

As I said, you need to CAREFULLY reduce your value to your present supervisors enough so that they will let you go when the next opportunity arises.
Just be careful to not de-value yourself out the door.

Chas

by oldefar

Trying to change the perseption of what is "meeting" versus "exceeding" expectations is a long and difficult path. The bar for meeting gets raised after consistent exceeding and that becomes the new level of meeting. In short, change your performance and you will be perceived as slacking off no matter what.

If your corporation has an HR department and regular performance reviews, then your managers probably have a requirement to develop their people. Use this. Get a formal statement of what they are developing you for, what the time line is, and what the metrics of success are. If they can't or won't provide this, go around them to get this.

If your corporation has an open door policy, go up the department chain with your request. Let your managers know of your intent, but don't let them bully you out of it. If there is no open door, take your issue to HR instead.

by ron vought

I appreciate both of your input(s) and assistance. Each one of you who have commented have pretty well summed up the situation.

There are claims of "open door" policies, however these so-called policies become fuel for the supervisor/director to retaliate in one form or another, usually in the form of year-end evaluations. You can't speak with them and receive an honest answer.

The manager and Director tell you what "you want to hear," but it goes no further than this.

I spoke with a friend of mine in HR and she had commented that I should speak to the HR director regarding my issues.

I cannot do this as the HR director has indicated in way way or another that these two walk on water and can do no wrong.

Others in my department place little or no effort in these Goals and Objectives personal development plans, for which they base annual salary increases, etc. Forget promotions or transfers.

Sadly, with the economy and job market as it is, I am fearful that after the last down-sizing, if I don't play their game, I'll be the next one out the door.

I continue to seek employment elsewhere and on several ocassions had voiced my discontent with the politics and game playing and opinnion of seeking employment elsewhere.

Basically, we each were told that if we don't like what we're doing, maybe we had better get out of the way and we'll find someone who will do it.

This is the general feeling with our "leaders."

I feel that I am stuck and before long, unmarketable, if things don't change.

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