My company was hiring a new marketing team manager, and we were all totally surprised that the hiring manager's bestie ended up getting the job. It took her a while to get into the role, not least because she came in for two days before going on vacation for three weeks for the hiring manager's destination wedding, but when she came back it became clear she had no idea what she was doing. Didn't know basic industry jargon, looked vacant when people used words over a couple syllables long, frequently interrupted meetings to waffle about a different product or project etc. You get the picture.
Her tactic of dealing with her own incompetence is to weaponize it against other people. She starts openly criticizing people in the team, berating them publicly for not sending her stuff that's in her inbox, not forwarding information on and blaming other people, calling team members into meetings every two days to tell them how they're underperforming despite hitting company record numbers, marking people down in reviews (which affects people's bonuses so that really pissed people off).
Before she's even past her probation period she has a bullying grievance raised against her. The company are provided with a list of people in the team to take witness statements from. They decide not to do that and instead talk to the hiring manager, her long standing friend, who makes up a pack of lies, and between them they decide that any criticism she gives people is justified and the claim won't be investigated or upheld.
I'm one of three people who resigned this week. The other nine are all openly looking for work elsewhere.
And yes, I'm talking to an employment lawyer.
This is a BIG insurance company, by the way. Household name.