The company I work for uses levels to denote seniority (and one would think skill level, but I digress), level 1 for junior and level 5 for senior. This sounds good in theory but in reality it is just another mechanism to piss me off. You would think that if you talk to a level 5 you would be talking to someone that had an above average intelligence and an “expert” in a particular field, say UNIX or Active Directory. Unfortunately, at our great establishment this is not the case. Here is a conversation I had with a level 5.
Level 5 Person: “Hey, I just received an alert that the power supply is going out on serverX.”
Theavidreader: “Does this server have redundant power supplies?
Level 5 Person: “Uh, how do I know if the servers have redundant power supplies?:
Theavidreader: “Look at the back of the server and if you see more than one power supply then the server has redundant power supplies.”
Level 5 Person: “Hmmm, I am looking at the back of the server and how can I tell where the power supplies are?”
Theavidreader: “Look for the thing that has a big black cord running from it to the wall. If you count more than one then you have redundant power supplies.”
Level 5 Person: Ok, I see it. Wow, that was easy!”
Yes, ladies and gentleman, this is the truth. I can’t make stuff like this up.
The worst part is that level 5 salary range is really good and I work with a guy that is a level 2 and probably one of the smartest people I know. He should be a level 3 at a minimum really more like a level 4. It makes my blood boil. We have people with the IQ of a brick sporting a level 5 while the smart ones stay at level 2 and 3. Hopefully, that level 5 will give them +5 on their saving throw versus Stupid.
Only in corporate America…..
