I was having a conversation with my boss' boss (my director) recently about how one of my coworkers has made a career of “failing upward.” Turns out that they didn't fail upwards at all, they lied to everyone about how they weren't hiring a manager then “corrected” it after they had been in place for six months.
I only took this job because the HR people I met with during the interview said I would be the first in line for a manager position on my team (I have more experience than any other three people on my team combined). Upon hearing what had happened I went to the “Talent Acquisition Manager” who had hired me and asked how that could have happened since that was supposed to be my job. All she said was “Do you have it in writing? Otherwise there's nothing I can do about it.” This was after we had to do a team interview with this person, and got the preface that “they will not be a manager, they are interviewing for a position at the same level you all are.” And our *unanimous* response after the interview was that she was acceptable as our peer but not as a manager.
Ugh I hate the corporate world. And I didn't even bother to make a throw-away account because I've said my piece with everyone in the company who will listen so it's no secret. Every person who has had the unfortunate career path of working for this manager has either quit or transferred to another team after threatening to quit. Yet the powers that be think they shit rainbows. I don't fucking get it.
I don't even want to be management, but I want a paycheck that looks like the work I put in, and not to have to worry about people who do want to be managers who suck at people skills.