I work as clerical Officer in the health Industry have been for 30 years I am 54 years old.
I have been working for this hospital since 2008 as a clerical officer. Previous to this I held similar roles also clerical coordinator position for four years. Recently a position as team leader has been posted and at first the position advertised on the web site as internal only. I applied for the position and awaiting reply. Only to find out that it has now been advertised externally.
I have concluded that even if I was the only internal applicant my manager obviously thinks I am not suitable for the job and therefore advertised externally. Am I correct in saying this? I am therefore thinking of withdrawing my application .The team leader in my department and I don’t see eye to eye and she is very manipulative towards my manager I feel she will keep me from getting this position even if I have the qualifications and good work record. What do you think I should do? I thought about approaching HR before my interview would that be a good idea . Can you suggest what I should do?
First, let’s talk assumptions. Just because the position is posted externally doesn’t mean they’ve already rejected you as a candidate. Lots of companies have policies where they post the position internally for a fixed amount of time, and then open it up to external candidates. The process would happen regardless of whether one person applied or 50 internal candidates applied.
Now, is this wise? Maybe, maybe not. If they already know they want to hire someone internally, they shouldn’t bother to post it externally, but rules are rules and you know how HR departments love rules. So, ignore the internal/external posting thing.
Now, is it possible that your manager thinks that you aren’t qualified for your job? Absolutely. Could this be because your team leader is unfairly undermining you? Yes. Could it be because you are unqualified? Is it possible that your manager has ever intention of interviewing you for the job and is actively considering you? Yes. Do I have any idea which one of these options is the true one? No.
And neither do you. Keep in mind that a clean work record and the proper qualifications on paper don’t mean you’re actually qualified to do the new job. It means you’re qualified to do your current job, but promotions are often about doing different things not just more of the same.
So, should you go to HR? Depends on the culture of your department and hospital. But, most likely, you should approach your manager instead. Since you already know this person and he is the decision maker in this process, there’s no reason to not address this directly. Something like this, “I applied for the team lead role. I see that it’s just been opened up for external applications. Can you give me a status and let me know if I’m being considered?”
The answer may be, “We haven’t made a decision on who we’re interviewing,” in which case you reiterate your interest in the job and say you’re looking forward to discussing it further.
If the answer is, “No, sorry, you’re not being considered,” the response is, “I’m really interested in this type of role in the future. Can we set up a time to talk about what skills I need to gain in order to be considered the next time a position like this comes up?”
Note that you’re not going to argue that he’s making a mistake in not promoting you. You’re just going to ask what you need to do in order to be considered the next time.
But, don’t panic yet. The fact that you don’t see eye to eye with your team leader may or may not have an impact on the hiring decision. A good manager can tell your skills regardless of what a team leader says.
OP: May I ask, what kind of team will the Team Leader lead? It’s not clear. Also, you mention that the other Team Leader is extremely manipulative with your boss and that you don’t see eye-to-eye. Would you be at the same level as the other Team Leader? Would your decisions have any impact on her and vice-versa?
I agree with Suzanne that just the fact that going external does not necessarily mean that internal candidates are not being considered. It could very well be the case, however, as the decision makers may have something in mind that they are not discussing, maybe bringing in fresh talent, a different point-of-view.
Please be careful with blanket statements about the other TL. You say that you do not see eye-to-eye, is that in general or on specific things? Maybe examine the relationship with this other person and inventory the things you have worked on successfully versus unsuccessfully and see if there is a pattern.
Finally, back to your opening statement. What is a “clerical officer?” Does this mean that you are fairly high up on the clerical totem pole? Would becoming a team leader further advance your career goals? Is it possible that by moving out of the position to TL might cause heartburn for the higher ups? I’m not excusing it, just asking a question. Suggestion: go back and review your career progression. Are you where you want to be? Is the TL position a step in that direction? If so, then once you have the interview, knock their socks off, keeping in mind that they may be wondering how to replace you. If not, what is the motivation for moving into that position? I am 11 years your junior, but I am dealing with a parent 11 years your senior who is wanting to transition into something different. I might consider keeping age out of the discussion as much as you possibly can. While we have laws in place to guard against age discrimination, that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t happen unconsciously. The best idea is to show yourself as the best worker you can be and how you can add value to the TL position.
Just my thoughts. Either way, I wish you luck. You seem to be very solid and thoughtful and that goes a long way in a lot of people’s books.