Sorry if this doesn’t belong here mods. And sorry for the length just have to get this out somewhere.
I learned something about my old company that’s really bothering me and I wanted to share with y’all.
Backstory: So I worked for a company for 5.5 years and left last year. I enjoyed the experience 95% of the time and was sad to leave. I was a team lead and trying to get into management I spoke to my boss and his boss (director level) and they agreed that with my prior experience and years of service and leadership I should totally be in the running for a promotion. Only problem, there weren’t any positions open and so I waited a year for something to come up but nothing did (that I was interested in). Then C level announced a hiring freeze with an unknown end date and that was it for me. I found a new position as the operations manager at another company (out of field) and left on good terms.
Now to today: two weeks ago I was contacted by a director (and close contact / friend) at my old company. The hiring ban has finally been lifted and there is a directors seat that she thinks should have my name on it. She sends me the info and I am 100% interested in the role so I apply. And she and her boss (a VP) put in a good word for me with the hiring manager. I have interviews scheduled starting next week so all is well in the world, right? Wrong.
Here’s the fucked up part: I was texting with my contact and she said that it’s a good thing that I left the company when I did and I asked why. She then told me that it’s company policy that promotions cannot be more than a 10% raise regardless of current position or how high you move to. So my understanding is that the director role I’ve applied for has a comp range of $130k to 160k and I’m trying to land at $150k which is nearly double what I make now. If I had been promoted from my team lead position to director, I would be making $85k and I could forget $150k.
Is it me or is that some bullshit?! Does anyone else’s company have crap rules like this?