Great company with horrible HR department - Solutions Architect Microsoft Employee Review

Two things that are both HR policies. 1. You are NOT ALLOWED to interview for a job that is above your level. This is tied to the second item list below but is probably the most damning thing about Microsoft. If you are a level 60 (random) and you would like to interview for a great job posted at level 61. Your ability, experience, resume, position or any other work-related attribute doesn't matter. You will be told that you are not able to loop (interview) for the job. The only exceptions are executive level bypass when is nearly unheard of. This policy suppresses career growth and is compounded by the second point below. 2. Microsoft has a policy that when you are promoted you don't get a level or pay increase. They treat job titles and job levels differently. If you become a Senior in your field with all the extra work that entails you will not be given any extra pay or bonus or anything. That is because of a HR policy that FORBIDS increasing a person's level (which is your pay) with their job title (which is what you do). Level increase are very difficult to obtain. Hence the reason so many people boomerang. Boomeranging is when you leave Microsoft for a couple of years and come back at the level and job you originally wanted and were qualified for. Everyone at Microsoft is well aware of this problem and is powerless to influence HR into any different action. This leads to many high-quality employees leaving the company. We have been calling it the "Brain-Drain". When HR is asked about why they have such a bad policy they give a standard answer of (We want our employees to do a job not for the money but for the job itself). That is not true. They are suppressing employee wage increases that should be commensurate with title and work increases. If you are looking to accept a job at Microsoft. Ask what level the job is. Ask what level it could be. Get the highest level possible.