Is this a promotion? (employee, job, companies, salary)

[cbluciano]

I've been with the same tech company going on 3 years without a promotion. They are currently "restructuring" from top to bottom, especially on my team. I'm the only Senior level employee on the team and have the most tenure with the company except for the manager. I was pulled aside this week by the manager to discuss my options. The conversation ended with me staying on my current team in a Lead role. No details were discussed. A few days later, the boss called a team meeting and announced the plans for restructuring within the team, including me being placed as Lead. I have overheard twice that my manager is taking on a bigger role outside the current team.

This is the extent of what I know. I have no idea exactly how responsibilities/expectations have changed. I've been told a few times lately I'm up for a pay raise and to be patient, but nothing related to the recent news of the role change.

Is the ball now in my court to approach management for this information? Should I wait for them to approach me? Or do they expect me to "take the bull by the horns" and take the lead without any more direction? This company has a past of making employees prove they can do the new job before giving the pay raise.

[BusinessManIT]

It is difficult to say what you should do since I do not know your company's corporate culture. You talk about seniority and tenure and your senior position. Is that how promotions and advancements are decided on? Or are promotions based on merit regardless of seniority?

Based upon your talk with management, it seems that they value your contributions and want to see you get ahead. The fact that they like employees to "prove themselves" before showing them the money is discouraging and smells like freeloading off of the employee.

Since they have asked you to be patient, I would suggest for you to play along with them. If things don't happen in a reasonable time frame then I would ask for clarification. Good luck.

[MrRational]

Originally Posted by cbluciano

I've been with the same tech company going on 3 years without a promotion.
They are currently "restructuring" from top to bottom, especially on my team.

A few days later, the boss called a team meeting and announced...me being placed as Lead.
I have no idea exactly how responsibilities/expectations have changed.

This is the conflict. Do you have a title change or an actually new position?
More critically though... has the salary/benefit package improved?

Is the ball now in my court to approach management for this information?
Should I wait for them to approach me?

faint heart never won fair lady

[cbluciano]

Originally Posted by BusinessManIT

It is difficult to say what you should do since I do not know your company's corporate culture. You talk about seniority and tenure and your senior position. Is that how promotions and advancements are decided on? Or are promotions based on merit regardless of seniority?

It's a combination of both seniority and merit, like a lot of companies. In other words, someone can compensate for a lack of one with surplus of the other.

Originally Posted by BusinessManIT

Based upon your talk with management, it seems that they value your contributions and want to see you get ahead. The fact that they like employees to "prove themselves" before showing them the money is discouraging and smells like freeloading off of the employee.

Yes. My current boss was in her new role for almost a year before she got the raise. They also have a long history of not giving promotions until very worthy employees get an offer from another company, then giving counter-offers. The company is well known in the tech community for being frugal and exploiting young employees that do not know their worth.

Originally Posted by MrRational

Do you have a title change or an actually new position?
More critically though... has the salary/benefit package improved?

No idea. I just know what the manager has told the team with me in the room. That being I will be the lead.