Employee gets promoted to supervisor over colleague with 3 more years' experience, faces pushback from coworkers: 'I'm not trying to act like everyone's boss'

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Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Sep 3, 2026 4:00 PM EDT

Should experience be the only deciding factor in promotions?

The workplace is supposed to be a meritocracy, and as a result, we might expect that more years on the job make an employee a better candidate to advance to the next stage of their chosen career. When somebody has put in the time and the effort with their employer, it can get to a point where this reward isn't just hoped for; it is expected. They believe they deserve a promotion.

However, life does not always work that way, and the logic behind who gets the fancier job title is often more convoluted than more experience = better candidate. Maybe putting a particular person in this position doesn't fit with the business plan, or there is somebody else who the higher-ups believe is simply a better choice. It can be a bitter pill to swallow for anybody who has worked hard with the hopes that they would get promoted, only to see the role go to a colleague. At the same time, it is their professional duty to deal with their feelings and find a productive way to work with this individual. If they don't do that, they are going to face problem after problem.

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  • A male employee leans over a female colleague working at her desk, gesturing to some files on the desk.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A male employee leans over a female colleague working at her desk, gesturing to some files on the desk. Actor performance of story events.
     

  • An employee was surprised and happy to be promoted to team leader, but soon ran into problems when they realized that their more experienced colleague had been preparing to get the role. They had been at the company for three years, and he had been there for five.

    It seemed like their other coworkers had been hoping that he would get the job as well, as they began treating the new team leader in a noticeably negative way. The employee didn't want to be dictatorial in their role, but they didn't feel like they could work properly in this current environment, either.

     

  • I got promoted over a coworker who's been here much longer and now half the team barely talks to me. What do I do?

    I got promoted a few weeks ago into a team lead position. I was excited about it, but one of my coworkers had apparently been expecting to get the role. He's been with the company almost five years and I've only been here around two.
    via Various-Big-9779
  • Nobody said anything directly at first, but the vibe changed almost immediately. A few people who used to talk to me all the time are suddenly very short with me, lunch invites basically stopped, and I've walked into conversations that went quiet as soon as I showed up.
    via Various-Big-9779
  • The coworker who wanted the promotion is professional when we have to work together, but that's about it. Yesterday I asked him for some information on a project and he told me I should know that now that I'm the lead. That was the first time anyone said something directly enough that I knew I wasn't imagining it. I didn't choose who
    via Various-Big-9779

  • They didn't believe they had made a mistake.

    got promoted and I don't think I did anything wrong by accepting it. At the same time, I understand why someone who's been there much longer might be ped.
    via Various-Big-9779
  • I'm trying not to walk in and suddenly act like everyone's boss, but I'm also supposed to lead people who apparently don't think I should have the job. How do you handle this without making the situation worse?
    via Various-Big-9779
  • A woman leans slightly over the desk of a male colleague, looking up at her from working on his laptop.
    via Vitaly Gariev

    A woman leans slightly over the desk of a male colleague, looking up at her from working on his laptop. Featured likenesses do not identify those mentioned.
     

  • The best they could do was fulfil the requirements of their role.

    gdubh Do a good job. Make your management happy. Don't be apologetic. Be confident.
    via gdubh
  • And as for a comment like that, just don't give them much back. Try something like "Well, you'll certainly never hear me claim to know everything. So where's that file again?" It's humble, yet confidently redirects them back to the question.
    via gdubh
  • sephiroth3650 You handle this by not handling it. The other person is pred they didn't get the job. That's a natural reaction on their part. The other workers like this person, and are joining in with them.
    via sephiroth3650
  • It's the workplace. These people are not your friends. They don't need to invite you out to lunch with them. What you do is......your job. You'll make it worse by making this into some big deal.
    via sephiroth3650

  • It was time for their coworkers to deal with it.

    LetsGoHokies00 things change when you switch hats, s ks but that's part of the deal
    via LetsGoHokies00
  • twcm 1991 prove to the team that you deserved the promotion.
    via twcm1991

  • The decision could have been made with an ulterior motive.

    bigtex410 Maybe you're younger and cheaper. Companies do this when it comes to promotions, as bad as it sounds it happens. Best person isn't always best for financials.
    via bigtex410
  • jasonsong86 I left a company because I was that coworker. That person got promoted ended up leaving anyway. Just bad management. The department ended up closing down soon after. Anyway, it's your job to build your reputation now.
    via jasonsong86
  • Of course your work buddies are going to talk to you less now as you are their manager. It's just comes with territory.
    via jasonsong86

  • It wasn't for them to take the blame.

    SuchDogeHodler You didn't promote yourself..... that's on your boss not you. In the end the only one you should care about at work is yourself. Seriously if you start worrying about others feelings then you will get the shaft the second the start worrying about themselves.
    via SuchDogeHodler
  • MajorConsequence3044 As a rule I don't fault someone who gets a better deal than me. I just find a way to make my deal better. Most people blame the person who got promoted instead of having the balls to just say, "ok, they apparently either don't appreciate what I do or they think I'm too valuable to allow to move up. Time to move on".
    via MajorConsequence3044

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