Career Growth Levels

Analogy

The Day Hiker (< 1 day)

The Overnight Hiker (2 days/1 night)

The Distance Hiker (3+ nights)

Thru Hiker (weeks/months - nomads of the trail)

Expertise

Beginning your career

Little previous professional experience. Encountering many challenges for the first time, and focused on using these encounters as an opportunity to learn and improve your skills.

You are able to independently solve simple problems but need support for more senior team members to tackle more difficult problems.

Focus on your attributes, learning ability and drive/motivation to be successful in the role.

Developing professional

You have developed core skills and knowledge within your domain. You solve problems that your peers and leads agree are of moderate difficulty & scope.

You are able to independently solve moderate problems, and are also working closely with your manager or senior team members to tackle more difficult problems with strong support.

You are proactive in learning about best practices and tools.

You are now focused on mastering your craft.

Experienced professional

Role expertise, having wide-ranging experience within your domain. Uses professional concepts and company objectives to resolve complex issues.

You have a consistent track record of delivering within your domain and consistently solve problems that your peers and leads agree are of significant difficulty & scope.

At this level, you are a prolific individual contributor. You support your decisions with empirical data.

Expert in the field

Broad expertise and/or unique knowledge within your role, domain & industry, uses skills to contribute to development of company objectives and principles and to achieve goals.

You are able to solve open-ended and ambiguous problems that most others at SWS would not be able to solve, and for which the path forward is far from clear.

At this level, you are able to solve open-ended and ambiguous problems that your peers and leads agree are significantly challenging.

Impact

Follows standard practices and procedures in analysing situations or data from which answers can be readily obtained.

Builds stable working relationships internally.

Others note that, “you require more support to solve problems on your own.”

Works on problems of moderate scope.

Exercises judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.

Networks with senior internal and external personnel in own area of expertise.

Builds productive internal/external working relationships.

You have demonstrated that you can own and complete well-scoped tasks within a larger project, but may depend on more senior members of your team to help break down and sequence larger projects.

Others note that, “you proactively try to solve problems before reaching out for help.”

Works on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth evaluation of significant difficulty or scope.

Exercises judgment in selecting methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.

Networks with key contacts outside own area of expertise.

You successfully lead end-to-end projects with little oversight and can break down large projects into smaller tasks with ease and prioritise them correctly.

You successfully navigate roadblocks and obstacles that may come up and accurately estimate the time and scope of projects.

You consistently identify and implement improvements in your work and the team.

Others note that, “you leave things better than you found them.”

Works on significant and unique issues where analysis of situations or data requires an evaluation of intangibles.

Exercises independent judgment in methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for obtaining results. Creates formal networks involving coordination among groups.

You not only apply industry best practices, but evangelise them within SWS.

You are a prolific individual contributor and seen as the owner of many different projects, initiatives, systems or tools.

At this level, you are able to identify and suggest projects for you and your team that move SWS closer to its goals and have a track record of identifying and leading improvements for business-critical projects.

You can accurately estimate the time and scope of this work, and are able to make and articulate reasoned trade-offs to keep things on track.

You are capable of reducing complexity, facilitating cross-functional communication and driving consensus.

Supervision & Leadership

Normally receives detailed instructions on all work.

Normally receives general instructions on routine work, detailed instructions on new projects or assignments.

Determines methods and procedures on new assignments and may coordinate activities of other personnel

You regularly seek out opportunities to educate and mentor others.

You have a track record of giving feedback to your peers to help them grow and can receive feedback from others unemotionally & constructively.

Acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments. May supervise the activities of others.

At this level, you are a force multiplier - inspiring and guiding others around you to achieve more, and sharing your expertise to train and grow others within your team.

Communication

You are learning how to communicate the progress of your work with the appropriate stakeholders through the tools and rituals of the team, and are able to flag when progress is blocked and ask for help.

You proactively communicate the progress of your work to your team, and work collaboratively with others to help your whole team grow.

Building the skills and confidence required to communicate between teams or cross-functionality.

Proactive in asking for feedback and growing within your domain.

You are effective at articulating and analysing trade-offs, and escalating when blocked.

You deliver and receive feedback constructively and incorporate it into your future work when it’s provided to you.

You keep the company informed of your work and effectively communicate the state and status of projects to key stakeholders.

You are capable of understanding and articulating how your goals impact your team and how they support SWS’s goals as a company and are proactive in asking questions to navigate uncertainty or confusion.

You seek out and foster meaningful discussion around your projects and domain of expertise within SWS

You can take complex topics within your domain and explain them clearly and succinctly to others.

You’re able to identify and pull together the right people to ensure your projects realise their full potential and are able to drive consensus without explicit authority.

You are able to articulate and defend why your projects matter to overall business goals and have a track record of balancing risk and success.

Culture

You demonstrate adherence to company values in your work and interactions

You demonstrate adherence to company values in your work and interactions

You lead by example by defining and demonstrating company values in your work to others

You lead by example and serve as a role model for company values; You are a force multiplier of our values

Analogy

Escorts hikers on day trips
(Routine situations, emergency prepared)

Pilots expedition through unexpected snow storm
(Strong tactical decision-maker, handles unforeseen issues)

Controls search efforts to find missing hikers
(Strategic battle-tested leader, directs operational units)

Directs efforts of both air and ground search parties
(Inspires action, coordinates simultaneous initiatives)

Scope, Prioritisation & Process

Prioritise and push. Enables own team

Receives predetermined work assignments that are subject to a moderate level of control and review. Directs subordinates to complete assignments using established guidelines, procedures and policies.

Prioritise and deflect. Enables other teams

Receives assignments in the form of objectives and determines how to use resources to meet schedules and goals. Provides guidance to subordinates within the latitude of established company policies. Recommends changes to policies and establishes procedures that affect immediate organisation(s).

Prioritise and reject. Enables the whole org

Participates with other senior managers to establish strategic plans and objectives. Makes final decisions on administrative or operational matters and ensures operations effective achievement of objectives.

Prioritise and command. Enables the industry

You have a proven track record defining best practices that improve the lives of those around you as well as the success of the business. You are responsible for overall company performance. You lead the direction and strategy across the company. You demonstrate a track record of making the best decisions vs. consensus decisions for the business.

Hiring

Can hire

You have successfully completed Interview Training. You know where to find open roles on the SWS Careers page. You understand the Employee Referral process and advertise open roles on social media. If you are asked to participate in an interview, you consistently provide feedback within 24 hours of the interview. If in the role of Hiring Manager, you take ownership of the hiring process and work with the TA team to fill the role within a reasonable timeframe.

Can set team structure and deduct hiring needs

You understand the approval process and can write detailed job briefs and onboarding documents.

You help participate in sourcing for the role.

Hires and builds high performing ICs

You stay aware of recruiting needs across the company and utilise your network to make an impact in your department and beyond.

You participate in final interviews for senior roles.

Hires great managers

You are a magnet for talent for both your department and the entire organisation, and regularly and consistently refer candidates to open roles.

You participate in final interviews for leadership roles.

Supervision & Leadership

Rallies their team

A portion of time is normally spent performing individual tasks related to success of the team. Generally supervises less senior team members.

Rallies their and other teams

You lead a team of individual contributors at various levels and are accountable for their quality of execution, timeliness of delivery, impact, and personal and professional growth

Inspires the business

You build and lead multiple autonomous departments that move at a high velocity, produce high quality output, and communicate effectively within the division and cross-functionally. You oversee and hold teams and individuals accountable for the quality of strategy, execution, and timeliness of delivery to company and team initiatives or OKRs. Additionally, you are responsible for hiring, growth, and retention of all sub-teams and/or departments.

Wise mentor who inspires the industry

You report directly to the board/CEO. You lead and grow a major division(s) within the company with multiple departments run by vice presidents, directors and/or managers.

Interaction & Communication

Clear communicator

Frequently interacts with subordinate supervisors and functional peer groups. Interaction normally requires the ability to gain cooperation of others, conducting presentations of technical information concerning specific projects or schedules.

Great communicator

Regularly interacts with executive levels on matters concerning several functional areas, divisions, and/or customers. Requires the ability to change the thinking of, or gain acceptance from, others in sensitive situations, without damage to the relationship.

Great storyteller

Regularly interacts with executives and/or major customers. Interactions frequently involve special skills, such as negotiating with customers or management or attempting to influence senior level leaders regarding matters of significance to the organisation.

Inspiring storyteller

Interacts internally and externally with executive level management, requiring negotiation of extremely critical matters. Influences policymaking.

DE&I

Ensure your team is heard and feels heard; encourages diversity

Increase accountability and transparency around diversity issues; a strategic partner in advancing DE&I

Increase accountability and transparency around diversity issues; a strategic partner in advancing DE&I

You lead and work to advance the team and company's DE&I initiatives

Complexity & Strategy

They tell you

Works on issues where analysis of situation or data requires review of relevant factors. Exercises judgment within defined procedures and policies to determine appropriate action.

You work together

Works on complex issues where analysis of situations or data requires an in-depth knowledge of the company. Participates in corporate development of methods, techniques and evaluation criteria for projects, programs, and people. Ensures budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements.

You are one step ahead

Consistently works with abstract ideas or situations across functional areas of the business. Through assessment of intangible variables, identifies and evaluates fundamental issues, providing strategy and direction for major functional areas. Requires in-depth knowledge of the functional area, business strategies, and the company’s goals.

You inform them

You effectively coach others inside and outside your division to articulate and translate company strategy into a concrete roadmaps

You effectively navigate ambiguity and reduce complexity for VPs, Directors, & Managers by having direct and collaborative discussions with the appropriate stakeholders

Data

Handle of main metrics, basic data literacy

Uses data to make decisions

Uses data for storytelling

 Uses data for strategic decisions