[joshAg]

why start at 59?

[kgermino]

Without knowing, I would guess that lower numbers are used for non-developer employees (i.e. sales or marketing).

[michaelochurch]

HR silliness. Supposedly, people are less pissed off by a ladder that puts them at 59 out of 70 than by one that puts them at 1 out of 12.

[contextfree]

I've heard it was to avoid ambiguity with numbers used in an earlier system.