Like what's a 7B, or 8, and what's considered "management?"
24 replies (most recent on top)
Fast track means you have been pre selected to move up the managerial/engineering ladder. Usually because you are related to someone at top or because you have diversity credentials that the organization needs.
Many years ago when I was a controls engineer at the plant, we had a level 8 come to the plant for 1 year. After that year he was duly promoted to unclassified and moved on. His contribution to the plant? He was responsible for installing a system for engine block ID. It was a failure but he was promoted to next level and moved on. That my friend is Fast Track.
I wonder what the payscale is for Level 7B? Anybody has any insight?
If that’s the case for 7C then there is significant overlap with 6A.
6A salary goes from 94 to 118k.
A 7C pay scale is between 98 and 123 a year in 2021. I have no family there watching over me though so I might be getting lowballed.
The fast track at GM is littered with the broken dreams of people who actually cared but were destroyed by people seeking promotions, people with special relationships with the leadership, people for whom spreading rumors and devaluing of other peoples work is the path to success.
The devil drives a company car.
What is the payscale for engineers per level at General Motors
What is the payscale per level at General Motors
Does anybody want to explain what the fast track at GM means?
Old thread but pretty accurate. And a couple years later Mary is doing alright. They have a whole new direction they are traveling in. I’m a recent hire (less than a year) and came in as a 7b, but I had to fight HR for that B. I can tell you that the bonus at this level is pretty nice. More than I have EVER gotten before. And in this “new” space/vision for GM, it will be extremely easy to fast track my way to an 8. Company car and an even fatter paycheck! Yes please. I think engineering jobs are more about timing and the companies vision, talent, and leadership. Their CIO is pushing GM to really change the model. The next couple years are going to be very exciting.
As for contractors, I would say GM learned their lesson on software outsourcing. The company used to be 80% outsourced. Now they outsource very little. But congress did just screw that up with the whole H1B come stay forever because American engineers are too expensive. Bunch of c-ap that is. Get what you pay for and contractors don’t give a c-ap about the company, just the gig and completion.
Smart move to invest in your employees. GM is attempting to stay viable in the space of automobile manufacturing. We should be happy and proud of that. We need more of that, and they put it us for all that too big to fail cash they got.
What about Principal Engineer? 8th or could it be 9th?
We jokingly call them "Loser Levels" too, that's why! But seriously, a lot of those folks got either demoted, added more direct reports, or got shown the door on May 21st in the "Smart" Redesign, aka, "The Boston Consulting Group Tea Party"
Some 8's at GM don't supervise anybody. Maybe some LL6 at Ford don't too ... but then why call the leadership level???
GM level 8 is the same as LL6 at Ford. First managment level with small group reporting to you both places. Level 9 GM is LL5 at Ford.
The thing to remember about these levels at GM is that there is pay overlap.
A level 7th level can make more money than an 8th level.
If you have no one pushing for you at a company your yearly raise can be 0 to 2%.
meanwhile those who have sponsors can get like 5-8% raises.
But all the managers pretended like they got you a great raise that year.
ZgnmpPx-3oer
Don't worry it's coming
Why do you think so?
Are you talking to GM's Board of Directors?
They're the only ones who can fire her.
She doesn't and will be soon shown the door.
100 - ( Level x 10 ) = % Confidence that Mary Barra knows what she is doing
Plenty of level 8 managers in IT that were told to change their titles to Senior but otherwise most of what you read here is correct.
ZgnmpPx-1xwg
Eliminate all "Sr Managers" you talk about waste! GM should consider restructuring management....
Will they? No...
Thanks guys, OP here. At Ford, the salary grade ranks have no A or B or C suffix distinction, so those salary bands are invisible per se (but they do exist, as HR does publish salary ranges for each rank by percentile). Fresh college grads hire in at GSR 5 (GSR=General Salary Roll) and get promoted to 6 in one to two years. Engineers then progress through level 7 until they stagnate at level 8 and never get promoted again. The first layer of management (they're company car eligible) begins at LL6 (LL="Leadership Level") and ends all the way up to LL1. Those folks are all termed MR's ("Management Roll") which is a relic of an older, archaic system of Ford ranks. The engineering titles are (in order): Supervisor (LL6), Manager (LL5), Chief (LL4), Director (LL3), and then VP's (plain ol' VP and Executive VP) / Corporate Officers' are LL2's and LL1's. There is a very rare technical track (especially after last week's layoffs), and of course other organizations have their own titles, especially in manufacturing and purchasing.
Junior Engineer = 5
"normal" Engineer = 6
Senior Engineer = 7
Lead Engineer = 8 (this is when you get a company car)
Engineering Manager = 8
Technical Fellow = 9 (most advanced technical position)
Senior Manager = 9 (level of useless fat that has grown immensely since 10 years ago.)
Engineering managers report to either senior managers or to Directors.
8 and 9 engineers usually report to Engineering Managers, but it might be to a senior manager or director
Each level has sub-levels, so they can give you little mini-promotions that don't really mean anything. They're more used to thwart advancement. "Sorry, you can't apply for that next level because you're not at the top of your current level". That is where you hear 7A, 7B, 7C and so on.
Above level 9, there are the unclassified ranks where the bonuses are bigger than your salary.
Director
Executive Director
Vice President
Executive Vice President
That is usually the reporting structure, though it differs.
I'm an engineer, so that's the perspective I'm answering from.
Most college grad engineers will enter the company as a 5th level. After 1 year they are usually promoted to 6B. It may take a few more years to reach 6A.
Within any level "A" is the highest pay band within the level. Each pay band has a rate known as midpoint or market rate and then a maximum rate that you can make in that pay band.
8th level is the 1st level that is considered management. It's the lowest level where you can be in the company car program. There are also technical 8th level jobs. Above 8th level is usually a Director which is the lowest executive level. There are sometimes Senior Managers over 8th levels. Sr. Manager is a 9th level position and is not considered an executive. There are a very limited number of technical 9th levels (GM Technical Fellow).
Most engineers will top out in their career at the 7A level and will need to pursue management if they want to advance further.
There are some areas in the company where a 7th level will be supervising other employees. This is especially true in the manufacturing environment where a 7 or even a 6 could be a first line supervisor over hourly (UAW) employees.
Has GM started to bring back contract people at all?