On "Invisible Promotions"

[Forest 309]

TL;DR posts galore, hell yes!

Would like to first address one of OP's main points: no, in my opinion a player should not be given a ghost promotion based solely on their social status in the community- that is, the amount of which the player is generally 'liked'. For obvious reasons, this doesn't reflect their capability to moderate servers or to perform administrative duties. Yes, this is something that should be taken into consideration by the higher-ups because there are always two sides to a coin (eg. "fun" vs "serious" staff), but it should definitely not be a deciding factor nor should it be the 'go-to' precedence for whether someone is deserving of it or not.

Ghost promos were typically reserved for those who "wowed" their peers and higher-ups. More than it was a pleasantry, it was a way for higher-ups to let a player know that they were exceeding expectations as a Member and that their efforts were being noticed to the degree that they could improve the overall server experience for players, not that they were just "likable". I say "was" because I'm speaking from past experience, however I'm confident that this still applies even today.

With that said, I personally am not a huge fan of the situation where anyone gets that opportunity just because of connections; whether that be regularly playing games with a higher-up or just generally being friends. This is primarily due to the conflict of interest and generally bias nature of this sort of situation. Should there be a moment where a player [who is closely associated with any higher-up of the respective Division] is recommended for a promotion [and is interested in taking it], there should absolutely be a Staff application, at the very least as a formality. This is simply to mitigate bias in the process, and while it won't eliminate all bias it will certainly minimize it by giving the community an opportunity to present their opinions/concerns. Although there is something to be said for these instances where it seems like bias/favoritism rules the ghost promos.

Those who work hard should receive recognition for it, but the sad fact is that this does not always happen and it can certainly feel like there is some sort of bias at play when others do. But it really speaks for itself: much like any other community-driven process, whether that be in the workplace or here at Xeno Gamers, an opportunity may or may not present itself and fall into your lap- it is not always based on some form of favoritism. You could be the hardest working person and not receive recognition, but at that point you need to ask yourself: did you voice your opinion? Are you actively making an effort to let the higher-ups know that you are deserving of it? Or are you simply waiting for it to happen. Consider even, that you may not play at the same hours that a higher-up may, thereby making it that much more difficult to be recognized. It's easy to scream "bias/favoritism", but know that it likely won't help you. Sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands and to simply own it. Yes, a ghost promo is a special case, but that should not make it any more desirable than outright applying for a Staff position.

All-in-all, trust in your higher-ups to be making the right call/decision with minimal bias/favoritism- because believe it or not, they also rely heavily on you to provide your opinion, comments and feedback all the same, even in situations like ghost promotions. If it helps, keep in mind that they are unpaid, just the same as any other Staff, and that their best interests are for the community (which is more than I can say for my employer).