This article explains how to set up levelling structures and career frameworks that align with both organizational goals and employee aspirations.
What is a levelling structure?
A levelling structure is a framework used to organize job roles and employee positions within an organization based on criteria like skills, experience, responsibilities, and performance. This allows to systematically categorize roles and define the seniority levels within an organization. For instance, in a Sales department, there might be levels like Sales Associate, Senior Sales Associate, Sales Manager, and Sales Director. Each level has specific criteria, such as required experience and skills, which helps in defining clear career progression, compensation, and development plans for employees.
What is a career framework?
A career framework is a set of career paths within an organization that uses the same levelling structure. It defines the progression routes for various roles within teams or departments, ensuring clear and structured career development. For instance, in an Engineering department, there might be different career paths for backend engineers and frontend engineers but each path would use the same levelling framework, such as Junior Engineer, Engineer, Senior Engineer, and Lead Engineer.
Why Are Levelling Structures and Career Frameworks Important?
Both the levelling structure and career framework establish clear requirements for every role and level and ensure that the criteria for moving from one level to the next are clear and consistent. Helping to move employees from point A to point B with meaningful pathways and keeping them motivated along the way.
- Clarity: They provide clear career paths, showing employees how they can advance.
- Fairness: They ensure fair compensation by linking pay to specific job levels.
- Growth: They help in creating development plans to guide employee growth.
Before Beggining
- Must be a Deel Engage admin.
- Must have Deel Engage enabled on organization.
- Must have Career turned on under Deel Engage
How to create levelling structures
To setup a career framework, there's first the need to create levelling structures. Deel Engage Admins can set global levelling structures that only they can edit.
✅ Step 1 - From Deel's homepage, click on the Engage icon and select the Career tab.
✅ Step 2 - Create levelling structure
Ensure you're on the levelling structure page and click on the Create levelling structure button to start.
A popup will show with three mandatory fields:
a. Title - To easily identify the level
b. Color - To differentiate from other levels
c. Description - To explain what that particular level means for an organization.
Use the create button in the modal to complete the process.
✅ Step 3 - Add seniority levels
Once a level is created, it's now possible to add seniority levels to it.
For each seniority level, a title, description, label seniority level number is mandatory. The number will not only speak to the hierarchy, but will also influence the visual position of that particular role within the level.
How to set up a career framework
After adding levelling structures, career frameworks are to be added next.
✅ Step 1 - Enter framework page
Still on the Career tab, from the levelling structure page click on framework to move to its page
✅ Step 2 - Create framework
Ensure you're on the framework page and click on the Create framework button to start.
In the popup modal, enter framework name - which is required and an optional description.
Use the create button in the modal to complete the process.
Next Steps
After successfully creating career frameworks for an organization, there's now the need to build career paths. Check out our article How to Build a Career Path on Deel.
Frequently Asked Questions
[ACCORDION] What is the difference between levelling structures and career framework?
The levelling framework applies company-wide, establishing a uniform structure. In contrast, the career framework is tailored to specific roles, teams, or departments. Employees cannot be directly assigned to the levelling framework. Unlike the career framework, levelling frameworks do not incorporate competencies; they solely define the company's level structures.
[ACCORDION] Is there a limit to the levelling structures and frameworks that can be created?
No, there is no limit to the levelling structures and frameworks that can be created
[ACCORDION] What are some common levelling structures that can be created?
Some common levelling structures that can be created include Independent Contractor and Managers
[ACCORDION] Does Deel provide support for creating career frameworks and levelling structures?
Yes, there is support to create these as part of the Deel onboarding process. However, it will soon be available as a paid feature if more personalized support is needed.