Employers refusing to promote or allow a department transfer

I have worked for a number of places that refused to promote employees or even allow a lateral move. Without getting in too much of what I was doing, I was working at one really awful dept that had a constant rotation of new employees. It was not uncommon for some would walk out on their first day of the job.

Meanwhile, there were other entry level positions that were far more enjoyable to work at the same company. Whenever, someone would resign from the enjoyable departments, their manager would send out a mass email informing everyone of the new opening. Afterwards, five or so employees from the lousy departments would apply but obviously only one would get it. The other four would be pissed and one or two would quit. Then an email would go out to the whole company that the lousy jobs would become available. After nobody applied for it, the company would forced to hire an unsuspecting smuck from a temp agency. There was at least a good chance they would quit a day/week/month into their tenure and they would then have to hire another individual who also had no idea what they were getting into.

I suppose you could say the company eventually wised up and no longer emailed all employees when an opening became available in one of the pleasant departments and hired someone directly from a temp agency. Of course, we caught on to what was going on and needlessly to say, were not happy. Eventually, there was a massive wave of layoffs and a number of superior employees from the enjoyable departments would be forced to move to a lousy one. Unfortunately for them, there was no going back.

I get the impression these companies feel it is better to have an employee work 6 months at a lousy position and quit out of frustration than to have them move to a more enjoyable position and retire there.

In regards to promotions, I noticed candidates from outside the organization were given preferential status over the in house employees. I assume it was also due to the fact it would be too difficult to replace the current employees’ position.

From what I was informed, this never seemed to happen back in the 80s and 90s. If someone wanted to change departments, they changed departments. The in-house employees were given preferential status over any outside candidate. If I was a business owner, I wouldn't want an employee who couldn't even at least tolerate their job.

Anyone else experience this?