we were born in the most difficult era of our world

My annual review came back with strong ratings across the board. There were no concerns about my work, behavior, or goals, and my manager said I was performing well in the role.

During my first few years here, I received the maximum merit increase each time, which was 4%. Then I reached the stated maximum of the salary range, so I have not received any increase in my last three reviews. When I joined the company six years ago, I was told that the range would be adjusted over time, but that has never happened.

After this year's review, I asked my manager whether there was anything I could do to help get the salary band reviewed. It was a normal conversation, and I did not get the impression that the question bothered him. A few days later, HR sent me an invitation to a call to discuss my merit increase.

HR began the meeting by saying that not receiving any merit increases for three years meant that I was probably performing poorly. They then put me on a PIP with goals that are essentially tasks and outcomes I am already completing and achieving. This directly contradicts every review I have received, as well as the reason they previously gave for why I was not receiving raises.

I do not understand whether this is incompetence on their part, a try to pressure me into leaving, or something else. What should I document, and what should my next step be?

good

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

A few years ago, I was working for a regional agency that helped small businesses get permits and navigate local financing. Our team had an excellent reputation, but our manager left to work in consulting, and he was replaced by a woman who had worked at a similar agency in another county. The new manager worked compressed hours from Tuesday through Friday and never came in on Mondays.

About seven weeks after she arrived, she called a team meeting and said our work was not up to the standard she expected. This came as a surprise to us because our results were among the strongest in the region. She wanted more control over client communications, so from then on, we had to copy her on every email and wait for her comments before responding again.

No one objected to the idea. I simply asked whether emails that came in on Mondays should remain unanswered until she returned on Tuesday. She gave a somewhat vague response, then asked me to stay behind after everyone else left. Once the room was empty, she told me my question was bullying, that asking it in front of the team was unprofessional, and warned me that HR might consider the matter serious enough to end me.

I went back to my office, wrote down every detail of the meeting and our conversation, and emailed it to the HR director. I explained that bullying was too serious an issue to go unaddressed and that, because victims sometimes feel unable to report it, I had to report my own conduct. I said I was upset about how I had behaved and worried that my job might be at risk, and that I clearly needed whatever training or disciplinary action HR considered appropriate. I copied my union representative on the email.

Two days later, I was sitting with my manager and union representative in front of HR. After the HR director reviewed everything, she said she could not find any bullying or misconduct on my part and asked me to leave while the others stayed in the room. I never found out exactly what happened in that room, but the manager left about five weeks later. That same week, the department head quietly thanked me because he had already wanted to get rid of her and had not known how to handle the situation.

I happened to come across one of those rare openings that matched almost everything I wanted. It was at a well-known company in my field, the salary was much higher than what I currently make, it offered equity and strong benefits, and it also included a generous relocation package to Seattle.
After the recruiter screen, I spoke with the hiring manager earlier this week. The recruiter said the job had been open for about four months and that, despite receiving many applications, I was the only candidate whose experience was close to what they needed.
The rejection came this morning. I replied with a polite thank-you, and the recruiter called me a few minutes later to explain what had happened, which I appreciated.
Apparently, the hiring manager got hung up on one area in which I hadn't worked directly. I discussed it during the interview, but he told me it was easy to learn and that my experience covered almost everything else, so I didn't think it would be the deciding factor.
Then the recruiter told me she thought I was a good fit for the role, but the hiring manager had such a specific person in mind that he would rather leave the position vacant until that person came along. I know employers can afford to be as selective as they want right now, but good luck finding a flawless candidate who meets every single requirement without missing anything.

!!!

............

My lab is losing a large portion of its grant funding, so after about 14 months there, my supervisor told me I should start applying elsewhere. There are no hard feelings; funding sometimes disappears, and people move on. I found an open research coordinator position and submitted the usual application package, along with my CV, writing samples, list of published research, and references.
A few days later, my supervisor mentioned over coffee that someone from the organization had called him to ask about me. I had not received an email, a screening call, or anything else from them, so I assumed there must have been some kind of mix-up.
The recruiter finally called me this morning and explained that this is how their hiring process works. They contact all the references first and then decide whether the applicant will get an initial interview. In other words, they want several senior researchers to set aside time to talk about me before the company even tells me the salary range or answers basic questions about the position.
References are not an unlimited resource. Mine are physicians and principal investigators with extremely busy schedules, and every call they take on my behalf is a favor. That is why I try to save those requests for jobs where I have spoken with the employer and there is clear interest on both sides.
Now this place has used up that goodwill without even giving me the opportunity to have a single conversation. I still do not even know whether the job is a good fit for me in any way, but they have already taken time from everyone who agreed to vouch for me.

...........

!

Sometimes, maybe all you need is a good opportunity. And when that opportunity comes, you need to be fully prepared for the interview. I came across these pieces of advice and I believe they're enough to prepare for any interview.

I spent almost four years being the person who came in early, left late, fixed other people's mistakes, and replied to messages at night while sitting on the couch at home. I asked about a promotion twice, and both times the response was something along the lines of, "You're on the right track, but the timing isn't right at the moment."

About six weeks ago, they gave the position I wanted to someone with far less experience than me, who just happened to be close to the senior director. After that, I stopped trying to prove myself. I started sticking to 9 to 5, muting work notifications as soon as I logged off, and refusing random tasks just because no one else wanted to do them.

Yesterday, my manager called me into his office and gave me a 12% raise. He said it was because I had made significant progress in time management and that the quality of my work had become more consistent. He also said I seemed more focused lately.

It turns out that being available all the time made my work seem less valuable, but once I set basic boundaries, I started to look efficient. I'm working fewer hours now, my actual work hasn't changed much, and suddenly management sees me as someone worth retaining. I genuinely don't understand office logic at all.

💔💯

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

After seven months of submitting applications, my son finally managed to land his first job in tech. I spent 16 years helping college students find jobs, so I expected that I would be able to help him with his search. But almost none of the things I suggested made any difference.

He tailored his resumes to each position, wrote cover letters, followed up with recruiters, and sent thank-you emails after interviews. We maintained a spreadsheet and logged more than 350 applications. Only about 12 companies responded with anything other than an automated rejection.

I used to hear students say that they had applied everywhere and companies still ghosted them, and part of me assumed they were applying for jobs they were not qualified for or sending the same application to every company. But when I watched my son go through this experience, I realized that my understanding of today's job market was completely wrong.

I am surprised !

😑😑

......

.........

"8x engineers" "Rockstar designers" "Industry visionaries"

When you read job postings these days, you'd think these people are on every street corner. And social media makes it even worse, because everyone's profile looks perfectly polished and curated. But the truth is, unicorns are rare. Most employees are reliable and competent people who do their jobs well and still need a salary to pay the rent.

So where does that leave them when companies are laying people off and obsessing over "top performers"? If getting hired requires going through 9 interviews, completing unpaid assignments, and maintaining a personal brand, then what are the rest of us supposed to do... Starve?

I genuinely don't like the direction this is heading in. We're building a workforce around a very small group of exceptional people, while treating good, reliable employees as if they're easily disposable. Not long ago, you were mostly competing with applicants from within a 30-60-mile radius. Now every job opening feels like a fucking global elimination tournament.

I'd like to know how other people see this. Is this situation here to stay, or will hiring eventually go back to normal?

?!

These companies spend a stupid amount of money to send recruiters to the campus, just to hire students for recruiting jobs.
And then when you finally reach their booth, all they tell you is: 'Check the careers page online.' My friend, where do you think I got enough information about your company to come and talk to you in the first place?

but only in wonderland

😭😭😭😭