It's something I really can't get into my head. Why build a structure where promotion only means upwards in responsibility/into management. Just pay good people more to extend their tenure.
I agree with you. But the flip side is part of the value you provide is because of resource scarcity. In other words, you’re valuable because you do the job well, but automating / documenting is a drain on time that is often occupied by fire drills that come from those same senior people.