I work for a smaller medium sized company that prides themselves on promoting from within and has many people that have worked their way up. I have been with them for 3.5 years in the same position and I am one of the strongest people in my role. I have been told that by multiple people in higher positions and have been given extra responsibilities that back it up (training new hires, shift supervisor, handling important clients, helping out at other locations, etc) and was even told less than a week ago that the initiative that I have shown has far exceeded their expectations. So, I decided that it’s time to move up. I went on the website and saw that they have a job opening for a management position in my department. Out of curiosity I checked other hiring sites (Indeed, Zip recruiter, etc) and see the same job opening listed. I schedule a meeting with my manager and ask to be considered for the position. I was immediately told that they aren’t hiring for that position. I mention the listings and they did not even attempt to explain it, they just repeated that that position isn’t available. I asked if there are any other positions available for me to move into and they replied that they would have to check but they doubt it. We just had a meeting where they told us that we have been doing such a great job during the pandemic and that they know it’s been tough for us, but they want us to know they appreciate the hard work and want to make sure we feel valued. Yet, when I try to move up to a seemingly open position they immediately shoot me down. I feel so under appreciated right now. Why would they be advertising a job opening on multiple websites, including their own, if it isn’t available? It’s not a toxic company, either. They have a lot of benefits that most other companies in our industry don’t even offer and have a history of treating their employees very well. My frustration is building and I’m not sure what to do now.