Liam Chen· Compensation Manager, Pinehurst Foods
Asked in Job Architecture & Careers ·
I joined a fintech in London as the first reward hire four months ago. We are about 450 people, expecting 650 by the end of next year. The founders set up six levels when the company was 80 people and they are proud of how flat it is.
The pressure points are obvious. Level 3 holds 38% of the company and covers people with two years' experience and people with nine. Promotion from 3 to 4 takes four years on average and exit interviews mention it constantly.
I am inclined to go to eight or nine levels, but I do not want to redo this at 1,500 people. How did others size it, and is there a way to add levels without everyone feeling re-graded?
7 helpful · 3 insightful · 4 agree · 4 replies · 337 views · 9 following
Accepted answer· by Elif Alvarez
I went through this at a payments company that grew from 500 to 1,800. What I would do in your position: design for nine levels on the individual track, populate seven now, and split only your current level 3, into two levels with criteria that differ on scope and independence, not years. Everyone else keeps their position relative to their peers, so it reads as one level being divided, not a re-grade. Budget for the split, though. About 30% of our old level 3 landed in the upper half, and their pay needed a 4 to 6% correction to sit sensibly in the new range.
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Victor UedaCEP
Job Architecture Lead, Independent
At 600 people we had seven and went to nine at around 1,200. In hindsight we should have built nine from the start and left two unpopulated. Empty levels cost nothing; inserting levels later meant re-mapping 800 people and a quarter of difficult conversations.
Compensation Analyst, Orchard & Vine
Before adding levels, look at whether your level 3 is one job or two. If the nine-year people are doing visibly different work, split it. If they are doing the same work for longer, a new level just gives you a tenure step with a title, and you will have the same complaint at the new boundary in three years.
Elif AlvarezCRP
Director, Total Rewards, Kestrel Aerospace
Really helpful, thank you. I checked this afternoon and the work at level 3 does differ: the longer-serving people are leading workstreams without supervision. So a split is justified on the work. I'll design for nine, populate seven, and cost the correction before I take it to the founders.
