Microsoft

Microsoft (outside of HR) has great ethics. They action the words most other companies publicize for clout. I got to have impact on some of the most interesting new features happening in the world today. The benefits are outstanding. The community of my peers is second to none.

Two things that are both HR policies.

1. You are NOT ALLOWED to interview for a job that is above your level. This is tied to the second item on the list below, but is probably the most damning thing about Microsoft. If you are a level 60 (random) and would like to interview for a great job posted at level 61, your ability, experience, resume, position, or any other work-related attribute doesn't matter. You will be told that you are not able to loop (interview) for the job. The only exceptions are executive-level bypass, which is nearly unheard of. This policy suppresses career growth and is compounded by the second point below.

2. Microsoft has a policy that when you are promoted, you don't get a level or pay increase. They treat job titles and job levels differently. If you become a Senior in your field with all the extra work that entails, you will not be given any extra pay, bonus, or anything. That is because of an HR policy that FORBIDS increasing a person's level (which is your pay) with their job title (which is what you do). Level increases are very difficult to obtain. Hence the reason so many people boomerang. Boomeranging is when you leave Microsoft for a couple of years and come back at the level and job you originally wanted and were qualified for. Everyone at Microsoft is well aware of this problem and is powerless to influence HR into any different action. This leads to many high-quality employees leaving the company. We have been calling it the "Brain-Drain". When HR is asked about why they have such a bad policy, they give a standard answer: "We want our employees to do a job, not for the money, but for the job itself." That is not true. They are suppressing employee wage increases that should be commensurate with title and work increases. If you are looking to accept a job at Microsoft, ask what level the job is. Ask what level it could be. Get the highest level possible.

Scrap the most destructive HR policy in business today and allow your employees to progress both financially and professionally together.

Allow qualified people to interview for jobs they would excel at.

Break the boomerang by allowing individual growth inside Microsoft.