The offer was reportedly cancelled, leaving the employee considering quitting the company to pursue the promotion elsewhere.
However, their current manager allegedly told HR that the team was understaffed and could not afford to lose them.
They cleared all three interview rounds and were set to receive an official offer with a 30% pay rise, according to the employee. The employee said they were told they would have to remain in their current operational role for at least another 12 months before applying again.
They said they had hoped to move into product management and applied for an internal senior PM position after the hiring director specifically encouraged them to apply. The hiring director allegedly apologised privately and told the employee that there was nothing they could do. The employee questioned whether being a top performer had worked against them, writing that they felt “literally being held hostage” by their own manager.
