A career ladder is a structured sequence of job positions or levels within an organization that employees can progress through as they advance in their careers. Career ladders provide employees with a clear pathway for professional growth, development, and advancement, offering opportunities to acquire new skills, take on increased responsibilities, and achieve higher levels of seniority or leadership within the organization.
Career ladders typically consist of multiple rungs or steps, each representing a distinct level of job complexity, authority, and compensation. Advancement along the career ladder may be based on factors such as performance, experience, skills mastery, tenure, or completion of specific training or development programs. Employees may receive promotions, salary increases, or expanded job responsibilities as they move up the career ladder.
Implementing a career ladder framework can benefit both employees and organizations by providing a transparent and merit-based system for career progression, fostering employee engagement and retention, and aligning individual career goals with organizational objectives. Career ladders can also help organizations identify and develop internal talent, reduce turnover, and build a pipeline of future leaders and subject matter experts.
You may also be interested in learning about these terms:
Career Ladder
Pipeline
Salary