The original post: /r/amitheasshole by /u/DarthKnuckles on 2025-02-21 08:21:29.

I started looking after my team by accident. Was meant to be a part of the team, but our manager just handed me responsibility and told me to sort it. The team were inexperienced with the more complex matters, but had some heart. Unfortunately they were not prepared for the job. We work in government related complaints, and they thought it would be an easy email response and if they got angry, pass on to another agency. I tried to set thing up differently to better the customer experience.

Two years in, the team say they know why things work the way they do, essentially let’s educate rather than punish. But, they are stuck old training and want to punish as people are non compliant.

I recently managed to secure a senior position in my team to relieve some of the workload. I have been working both jobs (manager and senior) and have been struggling to cope. Everyone in the team applied for the senior role, but I found someone external who was much more experienced.

I had individual meetings advising they had not been successful and why. Essentially they were not experienced enough and were underperforming in some areas. This did not go down well. This team have been around for 10 years plus, and I am a relative newcomer with a new vision. My new recruit is also someone I have worked with previously and know their work well, so to the team, this looks like favouritism.

I have said they being here a while is not guaranteed progression, and I want to see something to inspire and change things. But, my team have been pretty outspoken advising I am cruel for not choosing someone experienced and well versed in the current system. My argument is the system is crap and needs to change. Am I on the wrong track and being an arsehole to the existing staff?