Don't count on it. First of all, "exceeds expectations" really means "meets expectations". It's pass/fail, and you passed. Programmers are interchangeable cogs,

Don't count on it. First of all, "exceeds expectations" really means "meets expectations". It's pass/fail, and you passed. Programmers are interchangeable cogs, if you stand out it doesn't matter because your excess potential will go to waste. In fact, it can be red flag to management because you're trying too hard, you could start feeling too important or better than the rest of your team, and could leave as a result. (That said, many of us can't help but stand out). Secondly, I think it's well-established that developers will leave after 1.5 years or whatever the average is, and to keep someone you really need to throw a lot of money at them. Smart companies (like MANGA) structure their entire culture and process around this. The best people will move on after a few years. The truly great will get pulled aside and get extra sweeteners added. But that's like 1%.