Career development feels like an afterthought at SAP. Whether you advance or not comes down entirely to whatever your manager feels like that week. It’s exhausting and discouraging when your effort doesn’t even guarantee a chance to grow. I need a new job ASAP.
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The other trend for promotion has been HBWP - Have B**bs Will Promote. Unfortunately for some of us that’s a challenge. I’ve seen former administrative assistants being hired as architects and promoted to VP
C'm on are u still expecting career development while an HR is your manager?
It’s all who you know. The North American VP and RVP roles are 90% stacked with “inner circle” friends that have had their territories and roles assigned by their personal relationships, neighbors and in some cases family.
The ineptitude of this method proliferates like a rotting fish dumpster. If you suspect your manager has a low IQ, just look at who they know… you can track it.
It all depends what you mean by growth...
If it's about money, the strategy would be to gain a unique expertise necessary to SAP either for maintenance or new dev.
You have more chances in maintenance because a lot of people have left and only few people have expertise in some areas.
This strategy comes with a risk that SAP could delegate maintenance to low cost centers.
On the other hand, if growth for you means a nice fancy job title then you have to build a network where people will support you and market your name...takes a lot of effort, communication, visibility and solid against some jealousy as well.
@ax There is a roadmap for "managers who want to grow in their career". Basically they have to give a list of employees to be fired and they have to consistently give very bad performance ratings to these employees. If you see this happening around you to folks who don't have a bad performance but are likely to be put on a PIP, the manager is compromised. That's why the brought in HR and DEI experts as development managers in Signavio. Soon to follow in Leanix and Walkme in February 2026 and other areas in Q2 2026.
You are so right. HR and "Leadership" are focussed on protecting SAP and preserving their jobs. There is no one actually interested in people development. It used to be that your leader/manager was meant to help you navigate the SAP hierarchy, expand your skill set and provide you with opportunities to grow and learn. I often encouraged my team to try other roles, obtain certificates or suggest new projects that they could manage. I never thought of myself as staying in my role forever, and succession planning was a vital part of my responsibilities. Now I hear that everyone is basically focussing on keeping their head down, not making a fuss, nodding, smiling and saying nothing controversial.
@OP and don't forget to vote for AFD next time.
So unfortunately that is true now, it didn't used to be. There were well developed roadmaps for carier progression and sap developed from within. Now there is only hiring from outside and residency once you reach t4
Yep. You're just an expense on someone's spreadsheet. Time to find a better opportunity elsewhere, where you'll have better options. One of your only times for negotiation is during initial hiring.
@OP If you leave, SAP can hire one or more Indians. Thanks for your effort.