I'm looking for advice on getting credit for both your position and your accomplishments in a small company where credit isn't extended equally.

Anonymous

March 5,2024 at 8:51PM UTC

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I'm looking for advice on getting credit for both your position and your accomplishments in a small company where credit isn't extended equally. I like the company and my work and since I am over 50, I don't want to move to another company to rectify this. I should point out that this isn't an age-ism thing...over half the company is over 40.

I was hired five years ago to replace a 40+ year marketing employee. I was not hired as a VP, which is what he was. Instead, the company restructured the department so that my current manager (who was a sales VP) took half of his responsibilities and I took the other. My predecessor also had a staff of five under him. When he retired/I was hired, my manager took over the management of the department as "marketing and sales." I knew I wasn't being hired as a manager, so I didn't have a problem with it. In the five years since and during the covid shutdowns, two of my coworkers moved on and were not replaced. I absorbed their responsibilities...mainly because my two other coworkers lack the skills to. I completed quite a few projects that made my department and the company overall look good. Not to mention that they saved the money they would have spent recruiting for those jobs. Because covid severely affected the industry I am in, there were also wage freezes across the company, and my salary still isn't commiserate with my contributions and workload/skill level. My manager insists that he will review my compensation when the company is solvent enough to support it. Money is the least of my worries...I make a high salary for the area I live in. During my last review - and my reviews are always stellar - I brought up changing my title to accurately describe the work that I do (since no one is getting increases) and gave him examples of titles that could fit. At the time, he said, "Well, I have to do some research and get back to you." That was a year ago...

Meanwhile, our company president retired last summer. His replacement was someone from within the company. Being that we had a management shift, my manager and several others were promoted upward. And along with that were title changes. All of it was announced at our combination retirement/company picnic, complete with the presentation of new nameplates for their doors. That would have been a great time to revisit my title, right? Nope. I mentioned it to my manger in almost a joking way before the picnic, and he replied absent-mindely, "Oh yeah...I have to look at that once things settle." To me, it felt like discussing having kids...is any time really the right time? You either will, or won't and can make endless excuses for either.

Recently, the company had to hire replacements for key positions that had become vacant. Part of my job is product photography and corporate portraits, and I was copied on an email to take photos of a new employee. Another person on that email was the contact at our PR firm, and the email discussed "writing a press release and an introductory article." Here is where I started to bristle. This person is at the same level as I am in the company. When I was hired, I asked my manager about a press release or something to put my name and face out into the industry and was told, "We don't typically do those for non-managers." Apparently that has changed, because they are doing it now. I've said nothing to no one about this, but I'm not happy. I'm not comfortable trying to talk to my manager about this yet again. He is a very dry "businesslike" type of manager, and he has a way of conveniently avoiding things he doesn't want to deal with. I have to infer that he doesn't want to address this...because he is also the type that only needs to hear something once before he acts on it.

So what should I do here? I am well-regarded in my company, but I feel as if there is a complacency going on. Petty or not, the title and recognition ARE important to me. There is no reason for them not to give me a title change and some outside press. If nothing else, should I find myself looking for a job again, that title and my visibility will affect my future opportunities.

Believe it or not, this is the first time in 35 years of working that I have ever had to deal with this situation.

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AnonymousMarch 6,2024 at 12:29AM UTC
Unfortunately you do not have the pull to get this addressed. So, since you are very well regarded by those you work with and your work product is respected, I would get others in the inner circle to advocate for you. I seriously doubt your manager will ignore others on his level or above. He won't want to look bad and obviously derelict in his duties of recognizing a stellar performer on his own team.
If you're hesitant do go that route. Start a pr campaign from the outside to gain attention. These guys don't want to look like slackers so speak on panels, start an industry read blogs, publish industry articles, host round tables at industry events. Anything to raise your profile and build a buzz around you and your company.
Add value to your brand ups your profile both outside the company as well as inside.
AnonymousMarch 6,2024 at 1:28AM UTC
Question…is any of this in writing? If not, get it in writing!
If I was in your position, I would schedule a meeting with your manager WITH an agenda or talking points, so he doesn’t feel blindsided. At that meeting discuss your agenda (I.e., title, retro-press release, etc.).
”Hey Bob! Setting aside some time to circle back on a few items we discussed last year, such as a title change. We discussed upgrading my title to something more in alignment with my current scope of work and responsibilities.
In addition, I’d like to explore having a press release. When I first started, this opportunity was not available for non-managers. Now that it is an opportunity, I’d like to schedule a press-release to reintroduce myself and strengthen rapport within the industry. I look forward to our discussion.”
Have the meeting, then follow up on what was discussed. For the meeting, come prepared. If you know the title you want, find a comparable title/role and highlight how your current duties mirror that title/role. If you continue to get an apathetic response, ask if there are any concerns or apprehensions with your job title and press-release.
YOU have to be your own advocate. No one is going to save you nor have your best interest in mind. Best of luck, and remember if you didn’t document it—it didn’t happen!
AnonymousMarch 6,2024 at 1:43AM UTC
Your manager isn't taking next steps on this promotion discussion because there are no consequences to his non-action. He doesn't see you as a flight risk. He's ignored your requests, repeatedly, and you're still there in the same role. You can make threats about leaving or looking for a new job but I'd be fully prepared to act on those grenades.
If I were in your position, I'd start looking for a new job so you're in a role where you're both valued, fairly compensated and given a title that truly reflects your contributions.
Erin VegaMarch 7,2024 at 9:09PM UTC
Not a recommendation but what I did was there happened to be a better role internally, put me closer to home (had an hour commute at the time), and better pay. I was the person who knew the software system from top to bottom and was put in charge of training new employees that were brought on making much more than me, working less hours, and essentially would be a boss to me. While here I was working 60 hours a week, four little ones, single mom, and trying my best to stay afloat. The straw that broke the camels back was they had hired a new lady who needed to be trained. The lady had a big mouth and at our first training session asked me if I would ever work with a company that offered x amount of money. It ended up being triple what I was making. She then proceeded to tell me that this little gig was only to hold her over until she was offered the position at competing company. With this information I went to my boss who hired her and let him know what she had told me about it being just a gig and that she had told me what she was making (which was big no no at the company). He just told me to train her and let him deal with it. Alrighty then, I will be doing what I had contemplated doing for the last month this internal position had been posted for with no one applying for it. So I jump on the phone and contact the lead in this position and tell him I’m putting in a transfer for the position and asked if he had time to meet real quick in the morning. We set up a meeting, I handed HR my transfer request. Next morning went to the meeting and as I arrived notice that the head of HR is walking out. Exchanged pleasantries and as O shut the door to the leads office heard HR ask the front desk what was going on. Front desk told her and she went on her way. Meeting went well and they were going to discuss and get back to me with their offer. As I am driving to work I am excited as it was a great meeting and I had all the skills and knowledge they were looking for. Arriving at the main office I sit down and get to work. I hadn’t been there more than 15 minutes and my boss calls me down for a meeting. Not even thinking it was about the transfer but he probably needed me to show him how to do a certain report. He starts off the meeting with my denied request to transfer, my significant raise backdated six months, and my promotion to manager. Along with this he personally handed me $500 cash and told me to not ever think about leaving his department as I was his right hand. He apologized for not acting sooner on recognizing what I brought to the company. What I learned afterwards was that the HR lady immediately got in her car and called my boss to tell him that he was about to lose his best asset and he probably should pull my file to see when my last review was as I was interviewing for an internal transfer and the other department really wanted me to join them.
Like I started saying not recommended as it could backfire.