Career ladder or corporate ladder

Employees
Can develop new skills and competencies in their current job.
Can demonstrate initiative and willingness to work to further department and University goals.
Managers and Supervisors
Can retain valued employees who are motivated to advance their careers.
Can attract high quality employees with the opportunity to advance within their positions.
Can develop well-trained employees and increase morale.
Can provide a higher level of quality and service to clients.
Eligibility Criteria
The following preconditions must be met: 1) the department must have a genuine need for the higher level work; 2) the target position classification must be Career Ladder eligible (see Managers Note below); 3) the employee must be able to demonstrate the potential to perform it successfully; 4) the employee must meet the minimum requirements of the new position upon completion of the career ladder.
An employee must meet the following criteria to be eligible for a Career Ladder:
The employee must be a regular full- or part-time staff member
The employee must have successfully completed their probationary period
The employee must have received Successful overall ratings on their most recent performance evaluation
The employee must not be currently be under performance management or disciplinary action
The employee has not already completed two successive Career Ladders without an intervening competitive position change
The department has been free of layoffs in similar classifications at the same grade level for the past 12 months
Career Ladder Process
The manager and the employee enter into a formal Career Ladder agreement by completing and signing the Staff Career Ladder Request form. Copies of the signed Career Ladder and related documents must be submitted to HR Compensation at [e-mail] for approval both prior to the commencement of the Career Ladder process and upon completion of the process.
The Career Ladder Request form should include information addressing the business need that prompted the request and provide any factual and supporting information that will be useful in the review of the request, and estimated Career Ladder completion date and an Action Plan listing the top five goals that must be accomplished by the employee in order to successfully complete the Career Ladder. Upon Completion, the supervisor must provide details on how the Action Plan was met. The manager must obtain the appropriate signatures required on the Career Ladder Request form prior to submitting to HR for review.
Salary Determination and Internal Equity
At the discretion of the department, an employee may receive a salary adjustment upon completion of the Career Ladder. A department may request a partial salary adjustment upon initiation of the Career Ladder with the remaining adjustment being applied upon completion of the Career Ladder. Such increases must be reviewed and approved by HR. Please refer to the Salary Determination and Internal Equity for Staff Employees Guidelines for guidance on pay increases and internal equity reviews.
Career Ladder Definition
A career ladder is a summary of a position’s succession within a company or organization. It provides employees with a clear description of the promotions, salary raises, and job responsibilities that lead to senior placement. While the beginning of the career ladder outlines entry-level jobs, the top of the career ladder includes high-level positions that involve increasing authority. As employees demonstrate their skills and meet performance expectations, they have the opportunity to move up the career ladder.
Importance of a Career Ladder
Both employees and employers benefit from a career ladder. Establishing a career ladder provides employees with a clear path for growth and advancement to the next level. It demonstrates that employers value the work of their employees, motivating workers to stay at the company or organization long term. Career ladders also provide training programs to support employee improvement, which benefits individual employees and the entire organization.
Types of Career Ladders
There are three types of career ladders that companies adopt depending on the career opportunities available:
1. Individualized: Designed for director-level roles or higher, this type of career ladder does not present a uniform track for anyone within the same job family. Instead, human resources evaluates employees on a case-by-case basis to decide whether an employee should advance.
2. In-range: In situations where an established career ladder is not in place, companies and organizations can adopt an in-range career ladder to advance employees. Like an individualized career ladder, HR reviews each situation on an individual basis to determine whether an employee should receive a promotion. This type of career ladder advances the employee’s job responsibilities without changing their title.
3. Predefined: As a defined hierarchy of progression, predefined career ladders distinguish different positions according to job grade. This type of career ladder establishes a clear set of skills and knowledge employees must acquire to advance within the organization. Predefined career ladders also differentiate job titles with numerical indications, labeling an entry-level position as “Assistant I” and a second level position as “Assistant II.”
What to Include in a Career Ladder
An effective career ladder program should outline how an employee can transition from their current position to a higher-level job.
Evaluation rubric: Career ladders should include a performance evaluation the human resources department can use to review employees. The rubric should outline the performance metrics and benchmarks employees must reach in order to progress to the next position.
Individual levels: As a job progression tool, the career ladder should also include each individual level that forms a job family within the company. Organize the positions from entry-level roles to senior level positions to visually display the job progression over time.
Job descriptions: After outlining the chronological succession, write job descriptions describing each role. Include the education and experience requirements, daily responsibilities, new skills, and pay grade each position level entails.
Timeline: Promotion speed is another important aspect to include in your career ladder because it allows employees to view their growth within the company on a long-term scale. Outline how quickly the company expects employees to transition from one position to the next, so employees have a clear idea of the promotion process and timeframe.
How to Make a Career Ladder
Consider the below strategy for developing a career ladder that reflects the needs of your organization and employees.
1. Define a job family’s main purpose. Select a department within the company or organization and outline that job family’s main objective. For example, the marketing department’s purpose is to promote a company’s brand or service. Consider the main responsibilities of employees within a given department.
2. Divide the career path into tiers. After outlining the different skills and competencies associated with a job family, divide the career path into tiers. Entry-level positions should consist of the most basic set of skills while higher levels should require a certain level of experience. As you divide and create roles, consult with current managers and supervisors for advice on which types of positions should be low and high level.
3. Set salary ranges. Set a meeting with higher management to determine the pay grade for each job level. Salary advances should reflect employee’s career goals and the new skills they acquired.
4. Create a visual display. Develop an organizational chart to outline the career progression. Consider using a software tool to structure the career development paths into a vertical diagram. Make it easy to follow and include the basic requirements for each position.
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WHAT IS A CAREER LADDER?
Career ladders organize and relate jobs in the university, based upon skill progression and increased earnings. Career ladders have many applications including staff retention, performance and recognition, succession planning, and career development programs.
Career ladders are very helpful in assisting in the development of an individual career plan and goals as well as identifying the training and skills needed to attain those career goals.
Career Ladder Promotion Checklist
A higher level job is needed in the Department
New job is one step up on the Career Ladder
Employee must be in their current job at least one year
Performance contributions must be documented
Employee must meet all of the qualifications for the new job (Directly related work experience will be considered in lieu of degree requirements on a year-for-year basis, i.e. 4 years of experience is equal to a bachelor’s degree.)
The duties of the new job are assigned on or before the date of the promotion
New pay is within the standard hiring range of the new grade, in accordance with MAPP 02.01.01
Business Process for Career Ladder Promotions
MAPP 02.01.01 Section V. D. 1. “An increase may be made to an employee’s base pay when the employee moves to a more responsible job assigned to a higher pay grade. Typically an employee would be eligible for a promotion after their initial probationary period is passed (from date of hire – exempt is 1 year, nonexempt is 6 months); and when their performance contributions have been documented; and when they have demonstrated the competencies, skills, and knowledge to move up to the next level in their career path or job family.”
Non-competitive promotions under this policy result in the employee’s current position changing to a new job which is one step up on the career ladder.
Policy:
Employee must be in the current job at least one year.
The duties and responsibilities of the new job must be assigned to the employee on or before the date of the promotion.
Employee must meet all of the qualifications for the new job. (Directly related work experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements on a year-for-year basis, i.e. 4 years of experience is equal to a bachelor’s degree.)
Performance contributions to the department or university must be documented.
The promotional increase should raise the employee’s pay rate to at least the minimum of the new pay range, but not above the midpoint of the new pay range.
Other factors to consider when determining the promotional increase include:
Rates paid to other employees in the new job
Number of grades between the old and new job
Changing from FLSA non-exempt to exempt
Competitive external pay data, if available
Procedure:
All requests for promotions require the following documentation:
Position Request Form (ePRF) (Job Reclass action/reason)
Personnel Action Request (ePAR) (Pay Rate Change/Job Reclass)
Memo documenting performance contributions and the basis for the request
Documents should be reviewed and approved by department and college/division approvers before they are submitted to Human Resources. Incomplete packets will be returned.
Exceptions to any of these policies and procedures require additional justification and prior approval of the appropriate vice president (or designee) and Human Resources.