In general, Google is more conservative with promotion compared to peer companies (especially Meta). With the recent introduction of GRAD, the manager plays a much larger role in promotion than before.
You can self-nominate for promotion, but since your manager has to write your packet, your manager must be onboard.
In order to be considered for a promotion, your manager writes "next-level assessment" in your packet for discussion in the committee.
The opportunities for promotion are in March and September. The March promo cycle begins shortly after the GRAD process, which starts in December and concludes in March. September is considered "off cycle".
If you're going for promotion, ensure you have clear artifacts backing up your work and overall merits.
Some examples of artifact generation are:
Creating thorough, high-quality technical design diagrams for your projectsCleaning up old design docsResolving open comments with thoughtful responsesThe quality of your designs and your evidence of solving challenging problems are key promotion criteria.
