I have been working for over 20 years and I have at least worked in 5 large local to MNC companies.
One thing I notice, it is never the most talented man that gets the promotion it is always the loudest man.
I once worked in a company where there was a very talented man who learned everything super quickly and senior workers were starting to take him as a threat. He was able to fulfil every task quickly and helped increase the productivity levels of his department by 50%.
However, when the promotion period began he did not get promoted and the department head hired another person with a more senior position but lacks the skills.
That man had one skill, he was obedient like a dog and loves to bootlick.
A year later, it was the promotion period again and the man was not promoted. But the bootlicker got promoted instead although he has only been working there for a short period of time.
The talented man questioned his superiors and they said: “You are too young to be a manager”.
Typical local old school Singapore company that promotes people by age. The talented man then went to search for a job and came back with 3 offers.
His superiors were shocked and counteroffered him with a 35% increment (he is that valuable) and a promotion.
So long story short, I saw this kind of case in all the large corporations and they are always promoting the bootlickers, not the ones who are talented.
Five types of people get promoted to onsite opportunities in any field.
- People who are genuinely friends with managers (very rare)
- People who purposefully become friends – buttering
- People who belong to the same community / speaking the same language as your manager
- People who are related to a very influential person in that place of that institution
- At last, people who really work hard and are really good at what they do – if you belong to this category. If your promoting authority is a good person you will get promoted anyway. Even if he/she is biased you will get promoted one day