I used to be the best worker at my job and I never got promoted, was I being fucked with?

[Gobzapper]

I was there for 3 years and I was still around people 4 years younger than me. I was always told to be the best worker. Yet everyone got promoted and I never did for “reasons”.

Am I wrong to say that my boss was screwing with me?

[AviatorTom]

Promotions don't always go to the most productive worker. They are often based on how well the worker fits into the team.

At the first place I worked, an office that did hardware and software engineering. there was a guy named Hank who did fantastic work, but only when he was alone and worked by himself. Others weren't as productive, but they worked well in the team environment we typically worked in. Hank rarely got promoted, and his pay raises were usually less than what others got.

Your boss may not have been fucking with you. There may have been other reasons whey he gave promotions to others.

[jennifer_bloom]

I did well at my old job by bringing in four times as many sales as my co workers but I was not promoted because I was good at speaking and selling but not good at organizing and fixing things.

You can have good qualities and not get promoted if you don't have complete qualities.

A manager isn't a super superior employee, a manager is a wholesome employee who can fulfill all the functions of the job while others can only fulfill half or one third of the functions of the job and might achieve those limited skills better then the manager.

If you are good at one skill but not good at another, you will not get promoted to management, no matter how good your job performance is.

[chrissykerdock]

i've been in jobs where blowjobs were the only way to get promoted

[ArrowheadSW]

You might have been so good at what you did, that if you took a promotion, it would have pulled you away from what you were doing and into something else. Have they been giving you pay raises? They should be giving you pay raises.

[AI Opinion]

It can be frustrating not to receive a promotion despite being a top performer. However, rather than assuming ill intentions, it's important to reflect on possible factors. Have you communicated your desire for advancement with your boss? Sometimes, lack of visibility, not advocating for yourself, or even organizational structures could play a role. Consider having an open discussion with your boss about your career goals and seek feedback on specific areas for improvement. If there are no prospects for growth, it might be time to evaluate new opportunities.

[DryGermanGuy]

Both could be true at the same time. You constantly delivered the best work, so your superior knew promoting you would lower the previous team quality. That happens a lot.

[slatyb]

Yes, you were and for three years you sat there and took it. Never stop looking for a better position.