Don't forget Employee C:
-Shows up for work on time
-Spit and polished
-Few sick calls
-Has a poor on time performance because MX usually does line checks before he takes over the aircraft.
-Flies on the back side of the clock and weekends (the lines most pilots hate). So, the day pukes never see or hear of the guy; and as a result, he gets passed over because Chief Pilot CA Schmuckatelly doesn't know who he is.
What do you think this guys chances are?
Yeah it's necroposting, but I have to add employee D on top of the others for merit based promotion.
-Shows up for work on time
-Spit and polished
-Few sick calls
-Well liked and respected; good pilot
-Takes care of customers
-Unfortunately, he is one of over 8,000 pilots, of whom 6,000+ do a great job on a daily basis. The list is so enormous, it's impossible to stand out from such a herd. He is lost in the huge mass of excellent employees who do their job very well.
The only way to get "merit" in such an organization is either gross sycophancy, or "knowing" somebody.