Manager promised what she couldn't deliver

Something similar happened to me and I felt like I was kicked in the gut. I think you need to suck this up and move on though. I would feel angry and in my case, I was nearly hysterical (although, luckily none of my coworkers saw this). Use the manager as a reference. It sounds as though she likes you and maybe you can play off her guilt to get an amazing recommendation. If you start making demands, you might lose the recommendation.

I'm so sorry this happened to you. I've experienced something like it, and it was AWFUL. The only advice I have is not to assume that the union can't help you. For one thing, here at least (Australia) you can join the union at any time. If you joined today, they should be able to represent you right away. Secondly, the union representatives are people. If you ask to speak to one informally, they might be willing to talk even if they can't represent you. It is worthwhile to them to know what goes on in situations like this. I have had good experiences with my (higher ed) union even at times when I was not a member, and the one time when I had a serious issue and joined the union right then specifically to get help with that issue (and have been a member since).

Yeah, you unwittingly baited your manager by making demands (that you'd look for other jobs since you weren't guaranteed to go permanent). Plus, in business, don't believe anything anyone ever tells you ever.

You made an earlier mistake too: I informed my immediately line manager that I'd probably apply, but that I would be starting to look for other jobs too, Good chance you lost your job right then and there. Don't inform management you're looking for another job. They're not your friends; doing this signaled you might leave, and why make you permanent? Don't let your boss know what you're thinking, and don't trust what they tell you.

I would certainly complain and make some demands. Learn from this, and don't expect anything, but it can't hurt to ask. Well, I don't know what your field is. If you're worried that word might get out that you raised this issue, don't raise the issue. Decide which is more important to you, understanding that you might not get anything even if you complain.

I can't think of anything else that you should have done. In many ways, the public sector's a lot harder for this type of thing than private sector, because process has to be followed. But yes, I think the learning from here is to always nag your boss about what's happening with the hiring process, get as involved as you can with writing the job description and everything like that. That's all OK by the process. I suspect that the UK tends to do this more above board than most other places. I know I certainly more than earn my keep, but I only got the panic spread up the hierarchy when I handed my notice in, and they fixed all the problems, matched the other (much duller, and over an hour's commute each way) job conditions wise. And no, your boss won't necessarily have your best interests at heart. I know my previous boss didn't. I think my current one does, but I know he's got an awful lot of other priorities which may mean that job security I've been promised may not turn out to happen. Yes, I understand that for many people, including me, it's a big psychological unbalancing factor to have too many irons in the fire as far as job applications are concerned. I think it's one of those things that in the long run one has to get less attached to. Lastly, never forget to make sure that it's not just your boss that knows what a good job you do, but also their boss. There's normally an email or two a month that it wouldn't hurt to cc: them into.

Nope. I work for the same type of company politics when hiring. There definately is an "out voting" procedure that happens. And yes, it's wrong. The person who wants you should have the most/final say. Well in a lot of corporations it's a peanut gallery due to office politics and political correctness in the name of democracy. I.e. Bullshit. I've learned the following: 1. if you want a job, apply for it. Never wait for the manager, company, etc. to tell you. They won't. They're busy and if they wanted to hire you direct, they CAN find a way through a promotion, etc. But if it's this external vs internal free for all--that's what it is--a free for all and nothing is guaranteed. 2. never stop applying for OTHER jobs outside the company. I.e. never put your eggs in one basket. 3. never trust corporate life or bosses. They can be your best friend but in the end, everyone is in it for themselves and that means playing the game. The company signs their checks so that's who always has the upper hand. I'm so sorry that this happened. You are a good person and unfortuantely, good people get the shaft all the time in corporate. Learn from it.

This has happened in my group. An opening came available, one of our contract employees did a great job at his interview and was the presumptive hire. Then we got an applicant who was dramatically more qualified for the work. We had to hire the external applicant because it just made more sense for what we needed at the time. There are other examples. My point is, it happens all the time, and it sucks for those who have been promised behind closed doors that it was going to be their job. It's not your job until you sign the employment contract.

Oh man, how awful. I feel for you. Like others have said, it sounds like your manager wanted you and really thought she could swing hiring you. It's possible those above HER were stringing her along, and then did a 180, leaving her to deal with breaking the news to you. So you probably weren't the only one who messed up. And it doesn't sound like she was hostile. I've been in a similar situation - I had a boss, Dick, who had hired me part-time, and meanwhile kept telling me I had a shot at a full time job with the company. He encouraged me to apply "through formal channels," so I did, and kept waiting - meanwhile working my butt off in my lesser position. Whenever I would ask Dick the status of my application, he would make me submit my resume and materials all over again. He had six versions of my resume and ten demo tapes enmired somewhere in the rubbish heap of this desk by that time (and probably never looked at any of my stuff. ) Meantime, a new person showed up one day at a staff meeting and hadn't been introduced to anyone. She must have known about me, though, because we locked eyes and it was uncomfortably electric for both of us - it was like meeting your doppelganger (we even looked like each other). Next week, everybody finds out this woman has been hired for the position I had been encouraged by Dick to apply for - six times, to be precise - and I'm clearly SOL. I was enraged, but I knew it was over. With nothing to lose, I applied for a long-shot position at a company where they weren't even hiring for the kind of work I wanted. Somehow it worked out - they loved me! An extra frisson of satisfaction arrived when I found out that Dick, who had SO loved the power trip of being able to keep me waitin', wishin' and hopin, was later let go! Yeehaw! Two years later, Dick stays in touch - he's sends me plaintive emails, asking if I know of any open positions. LOL Long story short - no matter what happens to you next, it's going to be WAY BETTER than what you just went through. That's how it works. So happy karma, and good luck! :)