Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered
GEO3 after 8 years? Look after we moved away from a time in service to a performance based system, people really need to stop thinking that they're entitled to a promotion just for being a warm body. In a career spanning 30+ years, if you're keen on just floating by and doing the bare minimum you must be prepared that your two promotions to Geo4 and 5 will take a longer time over those 30 years
Have a look at that table where you see that there are people who are GEO4 and even 5 after 8 years. Why do you think you deserve to get promoted over those who worked hard to get where they are, while you just want to coast. Why do YOU deserve that promotion over them?
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I'm not any of the previous posters, but I just thought that I should put forth some observations in the last 2 decades or so.
10-20 years ago, spending 8 years in GEO3 is almost unheard of unless some glaring mistakes have been committed. Most officers will sail through promotions smoothly with just average C grades. This made the job a lot more attractive to fresh grads, and competitive enough to reduce job hops and resignations, and hence, reduce talent drain. Since there was a demand, people passed the interviews easily. Hiring was increased by:
- Rewarding fresh hires with lump sums
- Attracting midcareers
- Faster promotions
- Creating new higher appointments (the "newly developed" ST track was quickly occupied and saturated by officers or even ex-KPs within a few years)
Eventually this created another possible problem - too many people obtaining higher grades and appointments too quickly. These people are now the late Gen X who are GEO5s, or even STs and KPs. Since there is no brutal "termination" guideline (similar to the whole public service), many of these people hit their ceilings or get to attain high appointments quickly. Some resort to just coasting comfortably. Some older ones may delegate work downwards to younger hires to "groom them for more recognition and faster promotions".
Don't misunderstand. If we look at some of the previous posts, not all KPs are bad examples. But many who earn respect are usually the real hard workers or good managers. Your RO, usually a KP, also does play a role in determining your progression/promotion rate. They need to help you fight, and the SLs also need to agree with their proposal.
Nowadays, it seems common to take many years for just 1 promotion, even when no major mistakes have been committed. The big picture is probably guiding whoever is in control to "pull apart the bell curve" so that it doesn't get overly skewed to the right. They do not want the same phenomenon to repeat itself, to further saturate the system by:
- Greatly reducing recruitment
- Slowing promotion
- Limiting KPship or their progression
- "Encouraging" secondment to other sectors (and hopefully the officer will job hop and reduce numbers)
- Cut/tighten increments (doing it since COVID is a smart and "timely" move)
- Processing resignations more quickly
Just like how some of you have used analogies of student performance - its like how much more difficult national exams have become in recent years. Some feel that the bar needs to keep getting raised to differentiate ability and talent further.
The older Gens were "lucky" in a way - joined at a good time with high demand, fast promotions, great increments and adjustments with just average performance.
The younger Gens lost out more - overworked much but hardly any tangible returns or recognition. Bad timing, bad luck.
Technically, no one is wrong or at fault. Looking at the big picture again, certain sectors have had their own rise and fall. The tech sector is one of the best examples in recent years. As adults, everyone just has to decide which career choice is best for ourselves, especially if you're "unlucky".
Interesting fact as well - for Budget 2023, Defence is still allocated the highest budget. Education has fallen to 3rd place and overtaken by Healthcare.
Feel free to form your own opinions from these.