Who can you trust at work? Suggestions Please -- 美國老土

This is my office story. I am working in a company where only change is constant. A Project manager has been our acting manager for a few months. We came from the same company and have quite some in common (such as both feel we need promotion, salary increase, etc.) He told me he would try his best to help me when he has the power. But no power now.

There are an Indian guy and a white guy in my team. They are both in Sr. position and get paid higher even though we are doing the same work. The PM has a lot of problems with the Indian guy because the Indian guy is too lazy. The white guy quit a few weeks ago. and the PM told us director told him to replace that guy and asked us to recommend people. As I always took him as my friend, I told him I would apply. There was no salary increases last year and no budget for promotion. Therefore this is my chance. When the PM heard about my idea, he asked if it is doable, I said yes I already checked with HR. Then he said, you know this might not even be a position in our business area. I asked, if you are replacing the guy in our team, what else can it be? I told him to make sure the recruiter uses the higher job level (internal job level that determines compensation most people don't know about, even the PM). So he asked me to send him the job level. I did. Then he asked me to send my current job level too. I didn't think it was relevant, but sent any way.

Guess what, one week later, on Wednesday he came to my office to discuss some project. Just when he was leaving, he mentioned very casually that the new job has been created, however it is the same level as mine. I asked why. He said he had no idea, might be the decision from the director or VP. So I said then I can't apply, I will just recommend a friend of mine. He urged me to do so and told me how nice it is to get 2 or 3k referral bonus.

But at night I put all things together, I felt something is fishy. So first thing Thursday morning, I asked my friend in HR about the process, who determines job level in hiring process. My friend said it is discussed between hiring mgr and HR. I asked if there is any chance that the upper management would change it without the hiring manger knowing it. The answer is No. So I confronted the PM, asked him again why the job level is lower. He said he had no idea he already told me. I told him I know the business process, he is the hiring mgr, he has to know why. Then he become very upset, asking me if I was calling him a liar, telling me if I don't trust him, I have a bigger issue, blah blah... All this time I didn't say yes or no. I told him I just wanted to know why.Other mgrs under the same director just recently created jobs at higher level (a friend of mine got hired so I know). Why not in our group? He kept telling me he didn't know. So I said I expected him to help me as my manager, I was disappointed he simply told me "well too bad" yesterday. He told me he didn't say "too bad". He was going to find out why and just didn't get the chance yet. He said he would find out why for me and correct it if possible, but I need to trust him. Otherwise I can talk to the director. I told him I definitely am going to talk to the director.

He is almost the first person I knew in this company. He had always been nice to me. I don't want to believe that he did this. I have scheduled a meeting with the director next week. The truth will come out then. But I am pretty sure he did it. He knows I wanted it. If he wanted to help me, he would have asked the recruiter why and tried to correct it immediately. Also I noticed he told me "I told them(who are them?) to create a Sr. position. but I don't know what happened." I specifically told him to make sure to use the higher job level. (because my level is also Sr. level, just that the higher level is one level higher with higher salary range, which I totally qualify and he knows it.) I think he did it because he feels insecure. Other acting mgr in his situation have already been made mgr except him. I think he is very frustrated. I have been feeling sorry to him. He doesn't have the domain knowledge in our area and his job level is the same as mine. I think he wants to keep me down, and keep the new person at a lower level so we are less of a threat and it is easier for him to control us.

If he is so desperate as to ruin the opportunity for others, I am sure the director would love to have more evidence to back up the decision of not making him the manager. Then it is simply too bad for him.

What do you guys think? I am thinking of what say to the director. Any suggestions? Thanks.

所有跟帖： 

• there is no friend in work place, no one can be trusted -dropinto- ♀ (82 bytes) () 06/26/2009 postreply 19:54:14

• 我打個賭，the director would not tell you the truth -dropinto- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/26/2009 postreply 20:02:11

• who put your PM as the acting mgr? -HappyNow?!- ♂ (487 bytes) () 06/26/2009 postreply 22:08:00

• 為什麽要寫這麽長? 你一定很氣憤. 你帖子後半部自己的猜想 -小謀- ♀ (86 bytes) () 06/27/2009 postreply 05:37:56

• I think PM is telling the truth -Cathy_Bay- ♀ (312 bytes) () 06/27/2009 postreply 05:38:16

• Be very careful about those "older" colleagues -實在太煩了- ♀ (103 bytes) () 06/27/2009 postreply 05:42:05

• Go after it. You don't have much to lose... -全信書- ♂ (1388 bytes) () 06/27/2009 postreply 11:06:30

• 回複：Go after it. You don't have much to lose... -trustatwork- ♀ (101 bytes) () 06/27/2009 postreply 22:05:02