Raise concerns before leaving or…?

Black Noir

Black Noir

Black Noir

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I work as a member of the leadership team for a multinational organisation. The site I’m based at has 250 people and I’m the only member of my team at this site, reporting to a regional manager in Spain.

Anyway… I’m in the process of working my 3 month notice and will be leaving the organisation in 2 weeks. I have been preparing for a handover for several weeks, if that matters.

Fast forward to last week when I was informed that my successor would be one of the graduates that we have on rotation :eek:

Firstly; I’m annoyed that I was told last and particularly AFTER the rest of the existing leadership team seemingly knew for days before the announcement. Secondly I was annoyed that the GM hadn’t asked for my opinion on the candidate and thirdly the graduate has no formal qualifications for this role (a unique discipline) and doesn’t satisfy the job description requirements for the role.

I understand why they may not want to tell me first or even ask for my opinion, although I consider it pretty poor form. Common courtesy dictates they ought to give someone the heads up or get the outgoing manager’s opinion on this sort of internal promotion…. but I can live with that. Ultimately I’m out the door, what do they care but that doesn’t make it any easier.

Do I have a right to feel ****** off that they’ve given the job to someone that on paper has no right to apply and has no experience to back up the lack of quals?

Question is, shall I raise my concerns or leave it slide? I’m going back and forth asking myself what I’ll gain from it but I feel completely undermined that they believe my role can be done by a grad fresh out of uni and it’s killing my motivation.

Think someone with no knowledge or experience other than a graduate placement being appointed as an engineering manager…
 
Sounds unusual ... either they don't want to pay for someone experienced or the real agenda is move or replace the role you had, so they could be just setting the poor grad up to fail and then get a justification to bin it completely.

Its their business decision at the end of the day. Give the best handover you can with the time left and try part on friendly terms. You never know when you might run across the same people in future.
 
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Don't sweat it, you'll feel even worse in 6 months when you find out the unqualified graduate is tearing it up and performing twice as well as you ever did :p

More seriously though, you can feel however you want but there's nothing to be gained (and potentially a lot of bad feeling to be generated all round) by vocalising your disappointment. You've chosen to leave this behind, so don't stay emotionally invested in it. I get that it's somewhat upsetting - i've seen friends who poured years of their lives into building up parts of a business, only to move on, be replaced with unsuitable candidates and see their hard work come crashing down and they really let it get to them. It took some a good while to lose that emotional investment even though it had been their choice to move on in the first place.
 
I don't care what comes after me. Im not bothered if my redundancy is fair/unfair.

Its like a relationship to me. If it's over its over. Use your energy looking forwards.

Nothing good can come of dwelling and spending energy on the past.
 
Let them realize in time themselves what you brought to the table vs an under qualified grad. Also think of being in the grad's shoes... everyone needs a lucky break...maybe this is his/hers and they will go onto to learn a lot on the job and/or train and develop well. Ultimately why should you care? You are leaving due to unrelated reasons to that.
If you have an exit interview I'd be careful what you say. I've left places where I could have talked for an hour on why I was leaving due to various reasons, but I never do. I always decline the exit interviews or if I have them I just keep it to that I'm moving on to a new challenge etc. Why burn potential bridges and risk your reference? As much as you might want to have an explosive rant at how **** they are and how X treated you, remain professional. You might end up working for them again one day or with people from there again. You might become a contractor and they become your client. Look forward. Move on and save the rants for the pub and your mates.
 
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As others have said, frankly it's absolutely none of your business who they employ to take your place.

Whether they'll be any good at the role or need serious amounts of training to get upto speed is down to the current management to have to deal with.

This is the 2nd post this week of someone leaving a company and not being happy about what's going to happen once they've left.
 
You could always take out your anger by being particularly unhelpful/unavailable in the hand over, but even this is risky. The best bet is to keep your head down, use any annual leave left you have and leave quietly. Try to never sign another contract where your leave notice period is 3 months as well. I hate that. Had to work every day of one of mine in the past.
 
This is a serious thread?

You choose to leave a company yet get the hump when they don't ask your opinion on their choice of replacement?

Also the part about being a senior manager over 250 people wasn't relevant yet you still dropped that in....

Try not to get too disappointed with your leaving gift, it might not be the Gucci belt you thought you deserved.
 
I know you and I know how your head works - the short answer is “Get out of your own head”. Why do you care if they’ve replaced you with a grad? Does it offend your sense of seniority or something? Just forget about it and move on - you’re leaving, stop sweating the small stuff.
 
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