Three years at a mid-sized tech company — automating reporting, training new hires, top performance tier every quarter. When a senior product role opened internally, the hiring director asked them to apply. They cleared all three rounds, and the hiring team was ready to make an offer with a thirty per cent raise.
Then their current manager blocked the move behind closed doors. The team was understaffed, he told HR, and losing the daily output would cause operational disruption. HR agreed, cancelled the offer, and told them to stay put for at least another twelve months before re-applying.
The one thing the new role needed was the person already doing the work. The one thing the company would not allow was to let them go.