Most L6+ that I've met in infra are incredibly sharp, and there's tons of interesting problems being solved in infra/core systems right now.
On top of this... the "move fast" motto really does ring true, compared to google, facebook speed is like riding a bike vs walking.
Internal transfers after 1 year are pretty easy. I've seen people transfer earlier, if it's clear the fit between employee and team isn't there.
if it's clear the fit between employee and
team isn't there.
a: "employee 12345 has been here for one year and probably wasn't a good hire"
and...
b: "employee 12345 has been here for one year, and they were probably a good hire, but they're not a good fit for their current team so let's get them to a new one!"
???
On a human level, I'm a firm believer that (b) happens a looooot. Personally, I've been anywhere from a turd to a star depending on company culture and team fit, and it wasn't me that was changing.
But I am amazed there are organizations that manage to spot (b) and actually correct it rather than cutting a person loose or just pidgeonholing them as a low performer.