Career Ladder

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Template sections

• Level definitions — IC1 through IC5, plus manager track (responsibilities and scope)
• Craft criteria — design quality, execution, and technical depth expected at each level
• Impact criteria — scope of influence: self, team, organisation, and industry
• Collaboration criteria — communication, cross-functional relationships, and mentorship
• Promotion process — evidence requirements, review cadence, and decision rights
• Growth conversation guide — questions to use in 1:1s and career development discussions

HOW TO USE

Best practices

1. Write it with the team, not for the team. A ladder written by managers and handed to designers lands as a performance review rubric. Co-create it with senior ICs to get buy-in.
2. Use observable behaviours, not traits. "Strategic thinker" is not assessable. "Identifies the right problem before proposing a solution" is. Write criteria that a third party could verify.
3. Separate it from compensation. Mixing level and salary in the same document ties your hands. Keep the ladder about expectations, not pay bands.
4. Publish it openly. A secret career ladder is a fairness problem. If you're not comfortable publishing it to your whole team, it's not ready.
5. Review it annually. A ladder written in 2022 describes a team from 2022. Review and update it every year as your practice evolves.