How is the promo process at FB for SWEs?
Jul 17, 2021
53 Comments
Googler here frustrated with slow growth at the company. Manager doesn't support promo before 2 years no matter how many projects I'm landing.
So I'm exploring outside options. Especially curious about Facebook. Can people who worked both at FB and G tell me if the promo process is more meritocratic at FB? Is fast promo there easier as long as I'm willing to work hard? I'm ok with working 60-70 hours per week and on weekends.
L3 TC 220K
comments
I've found that AE is *sometimes* given during cliff or when your TC is much lower than your level for top performers as a retention tool. It's decided by the director, so that might be org dependent.
Source-joined FB as an E3, now I’m an E6 4 years later. Would I get hired as a staff SWE at Google? No, because they want more YOE. But I’m performing at an E6 level at FB, and really enjoying the work too.
For that reason, I’ll always be grateful to FB for allowing promos at a “fair rate” instead of worrying about YOE. No one cares I only have 4 YOE. They only care that I’m delivering, and that’s why it’s an awesome culture.
When you get promoted that quickly, since you’re still under your initial E3 stock grant, does comp tend to lag behind external hires coming in at E5? Even with refreshers, 2-3 years of stacked E3/E4 refreshers doesn’t seem like enough to mitigate the difference.
Managers benefit when you get promoted because it demonstrates they are doing their job well (helping you grow technically and have your achievements recognized by the organization)