When You Work Hard But Your Colleague Gets the Promotion
The sad-but-true story of many organizations.
“This time, I will buy occasional gifts for my boss,” my friend told me with a smile while we were devouring French fries at a restaurant on Tuesday evening.
He worked at Japan Tobacco Industries (JTI) for four years, one year at Perfetti Van Melle, and then last month, he joined PepsiCo.
He told me that he would try to please his boss with both; his works and other things like fake praises, gifts, etc. He never did that before. But now he realized that it’s also necessary to be in the good book of his boss.
According to him, this method works well.
I left my job exactly one year ago in November 2020. I worked as an Admin Executive at my country’s leading English daily for around three years. But why did I quit my job? Because the organization didn’t value my contribution. And I felt cheated by my boss.
My promotion and increment were due for a long time. Even worse — I was not given any specific information from HR regarding my performance evaluation, or growth in the company.
Later I realized that even after providing incredible services (than anyone else in that position in company’s recent history), I failed to enter into my boss’s good book.
Consequently, being disheartened, I sent a detailed email to my boss (GM, HR & Admin), describing everything I’d done for the company for the last three years and seeking specific information regarding my promotion, increment, and growth. I also mentioned that if they had no plan for me, I would love to resign from the job.
Do you know what my boss replied? Here is exactly what he said —
“As a Head of the HR Department, it is completely my failure that you have not been communicated about the issues you have asked. Things are not always moving on according to the plan, I know Corona pandemic cannot be a valid reason to show, at the same time it is also true that we had started the evaluation process but could not complete due to this pandemic and it is to mention that all other employees’ evaluation process has also got stuck.
Based on the current business scenario, where our revenue is still lying on the ground, it is difficult to honour your efforts and skills with better remuneration package and position, for this reason, your status will remain unchanged till further notice.
For your future career development, if you want to explore more, we will welcome the decision you make.”
Yes, you can call me bat-shit-crazy. But I quit as soon as I got the above email from my boss.
Because no matter how lovely my boss sounds in that email, he is not that cool in reality. He always favors a handful of his employees and ignores others. I saw him doing that for three long years.
I worked directly under his leadership and eventually realized that he was not a good leader to work under. So, without wasting more of my time and talent, I quit. Well, I admit that I was in a comparatively privileged position to do so.
I was single (still I am), living with my parents, and my father was still in service. So, I became adventurous and said goodbye to my job and then embraced writing, the very work that makes me forget everything else when I’m in the zone.
But this story is not about me but about my three colleagues of mine who got promoted only after four months of my quitting. The pandemic was still there but unlike me, they were in the good book of my boss.
Those three senior employees were very close to my boss. They worked in different sections (led by my boss) but on the same floor where I used to work. Our boss liked them so much only because they managed to establish a personal relationship with him and nodded their heads with a gentle ‘Yes Sir’ to everything he said.
But no — they were not some outstanding employees. I observed them for three years and worked with them on many occasions. So, I can say that with full confidence. But they had their tricks.
They would come to the office early (before the boss) and pretend that they were always busy. They would take frequent breaks; 6–8 tea breaks and two prayer breaks in a day. But one thing they would do religiously — they used to visit the boss’s chamber a hundred times a day (mostly for gossiping or showing their faces to the boss).
Though they were not in good terms with their subordinates as they used to put tremendous work pressure on their team members, nobody raised voices against them because they were close to the boss.
Those three employees would work very little but were very vocal about it. They were experts in making simple things complicated. But they would stay late at the office only to show their dedication and criticize those who left office in time.
The funny thing was they would also compete with each other. Because each of them wanted to show their utmost dedication to the boss — they would celebrate the boss’s birthday, any significant (or silly) achievement, even his marriage anniversary at the office.
As you can assume, our boss would trust those three senior employees too much and spend most of his office time with them. So, despite their poor performances, they got promotions, salary enhancement, and other benefits.
I was dumbfounded while I heard that news of their promotion. Because my boss said that due to the pandemic situation, he was unable to recognize my contribution. But only after four months of my quitting, all of those three employees got their promotions.
Of course, there are amazing organizations that treat their employees equally, recognizing their merit and performance. But it is also true that in many organizations, those — who work hard but fail to show their faces enough to their boss — get no rewards or recognitions and often fall victim to office politics. Their hard works go unnoticed.
On the other hand, you will see that some of your colleagues who are terrible at work are getting promotions or salary enhancement — only because they are close to their boss and nod their heads with a ‘Yes Sir’ to anything your boss utters.
Those cunning employees buy gifts for their boss, give treats, show their faces all the time, and gradually take the professional relationship to a personal level only to benefit themselves.
It’s sad but true that all bosses like those employees who praise them for no reason and hate those who criticize their decisions or express any opposing thoughts.
Personally, I think all of the practices those three employees did in the office are unethical.
I worked in three organizations and I had never seen any of my bosses as an omnipotent God and given him priority over everything else. Instead, I was too straightforward (one of my bosses actually told me that one day).
To me, my personal life comes first — not the job. Because a job is just a job, nothing else.
If your boss is someone who treats his employees unfairly, you must try to find an alternative and leave that job. You shouldn’t work for a bad boss who is not ready to recognize your contribution.
Never underestimate yourself. Never live in the fear that without this job your life will be over. There are more things in heaven and earth except for your narcissist boss.
Seek better opportunities, and switch.
Thank you for reading.
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