Realize that my info is ~10 years old. At the time I was leaving Microsoft, they were working on adding more transparency to the process since, as you'd guess, people wanted to know more. Part of that was explicit titles tied to levels; part was just informing people of the process.
And at least there _are_ guidelines. Have you ever worked at a small company? There are certainly exceptions (I'd gamble that Fog Creek is one), but most of the ones I've worked at or for have had salary and promotion schemes that basically came down to some mix of hiring manager's whim, highest priority for the company today, your public visibility before joining, and whether you have some family connection to the owners.
Comments
Realize that my info is ~10 years old. At the time I was leaving Microsoft, they were working on adding more transparency to the process since, as you'd guess, people wanted to know more. Part of that was explicit titles tied to levels; part was just informing people of the process.
And at least there _are_ guidelines. Have you ever worked at a small company? There are certainly exceptions (I'd gamble that Fog Creek is one), but most of the ones I've worked at or for have had salary and promotion schemes that basically came down to some mix of hiring manager's whim, highest priority for the company today, your public visibility before joining, and whether you have some family connection to the owners.