[TrickedOut]

Easy - my ex-employer's HR department has an explicit policy of promoting when your staff grows. Part of it is a spreadsheet exercise at the end of the year and part of it is optics. The greater the staff I can show the higher the change of promotion. That was the deciding factor. Period.

I left that place because it was non-sensical, but it was a major employer in Connecticut, so i wonder how many other major employers have a similar policy.