Career Ladder Template

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Template sections

• Level definitions — IC1 through IC5: scope, autonomy, and responsibility at each level
• 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
• Leadership & mentorship criteria — coaching, knowledge sharing, and team influence expected per level
• Promotion process — evidence requirements and review cadence
• 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. Keep career and comp conversations separate. Even if your levels are tied to pay bands, don't mix them in the same meeting. When growth feedback and salary happen together, the money talk dominates every time.
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.