Comment by hintymad

This is not really just the problem in Google. We might as well claim that promotion processes in big companies promote promotion-oriented work (yes, I intentionally use the word promotion this many times). The result is title inflation, lots of good employees leaving, and superfluous yet mediocre projects. I wouldn't say only unqualified people get promoted, though. Big companies have very different dynamics than small ones. Some people are just good at navigating big companies and are capable of aligning multiple organizations, for good or for bad. Big companies need such talent as well. As for individuals, the reward of getting promoted is not worth the effort, at least statistically. A much better alternative, is focusing on solving truly interesting and meaning problems in a blow-out company. The financial return and title bumps will follow naturally.