Talent Development & Seniority
The development of talent starts much earlier than many would expect. It starts with the hiring process, during which we evaluate the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses and we predefine some goals we think and feel the candidate can reach in a certain frame of time. Once the candidate joins and becomes a part of the IT Labs story, this predefined path and goals can, of course, change as time goes on.
So how do we go about picking and nurturing our talent? We have a few “pillars” that help us find people who are a good fit for us:
Hiring by value
We believe that for any candidate to have a successful career at IT Labs, he or she first needs to share the same values that we do. Finding a new member to join teams is down to much more than just having the technical competencies required for a job position – it’s about finding someone who can fit in culturally .
At IT Labs, we’re championing recruitment and development on five pillars: Integrity, Proactivity, Excellence, Innovation, and People. These are at the core of everything we strive to achieve, underpin all our decision-making systems, and influence the way we go about finding suitable talent, and nurturing them.
Maybe add more about the culture, or link to an article that describes the culture – what are the value we share among us and we look for in a candidate?
Nurturing
All the predefined goals and paths designed by the People & Talent Department are subject to change as individuals grow inside the company. Each path is unique, and each professional development plan is designed to fit each individual.
Shadowing
Mentors supervise individuals, in a process that is beneficial for both mentor and mentee – both grow in their own way and develop relationships that improve communication and team spirit.
Training talent, not just going for experienced heads
Cherry-picking for talent is the way to stagnation for any company. Instead of scouting for talent for months at a time, you can spend those resources training someone in-house. At IT Labs, 60% of our talent is homegrown, with training focused on processes, hard skills, communications, and gaps that may be identified beforehand or along the way.
Teaming
Individuals that start in junior roles are nurtured by supervision and feedback sessions which help them grow and refine their skills – up until they’re ready for prime time.
Proper care
Aside from the professional, there’s also the personal – we develop a happiness strategy for every individual to keep them engaged, growing, and happy at IT Labs!
Balanced Professional and Personal Growth
For all the pillars described above, we have a variety of programs and activities are deployed to ensure individuals reach the levels they desire, and to ensure even development in all aspects. These include but are not limited to:
Tech-stack Community
Information, knowledge sessions, databases, skills, articles, pet projects – we have communities for all of these, and individuals can gain access to invaluable information based on experience and know-how, while also get hands-on experience and participate in various projects.
Technical training and courses
Depending on the role, individuals have the opportunity to obtain specific knowledge or skills in various areas, through training programs which provide certificates, which boost productivity and confirm quality standards.
Innovation
We live, breathe, and dream innovation, as we consider it to be the pinnacle of knowledge – the moment you put at work all the knowledge and experience you’ve amassed through the years, to bring to light a tech or solution or method that can help drive progress and innovation even further.
We have innovation sessions, at which we discuss ideas and concepts and we dissect them and see if they actually carry the initial potential, and if they’re worth pursuing!
Certification & Trainings
Certificates are a proof of expertise, and they also pose a challenge for employees – keeping them engaged and learning continuously. With this, they become more confident in their abilities, and look for the next step.
Tech Radar lab
Staying on top with the latest developments in the world of tech, following new releases, and deployment of new tech is crucial for being up to date with the latest trends – both in terms of work and productivity. Experimenting with the latest tech is crucial in the development of a culture that’s driven by innovation and idea-sharing.
Personal development plan
Two times a year, we have performance review sessions, during which we define a detailed personal development plan, with action points and timeframes, and the whole team around you will be engaged in ways that can support you and help you reach your objectives.
Soft-skills training
Your personal improvement is just as important as your professional – as training focused on developing your adaptability, leadership skills, critical thinking, and communication.
Coaching sessions
We have a certified Agile coach, and our employees have one-on-one and group sessions with the coach, helping them develop new attitudes to overcome challenges.
Change this to certification and trainings – there is soft-skills training, but we also provide upskill tech trainings for our employees.
How Each Position Grows
This is the path we have laid out for all our employees, and they usually go as they’re laid out in order, but of course, in some cases, should any team members show extra effort and competence, some of the steps are skipped, and the individual is allowed to move more steps above.
Software Engineer (SE)
1. Junior SE
2. Intermediate SE
3. Senior SE
4. Principal SE
5. Technical Lead
6. Principal Software Architect – PSA
Quality Assurance (QA) and Automation Engineer (AE)
1. Junior QA/AE
2. Intermediate QA/AE
3. Senior QA/AE
4. Principal QA/AE
5. Lead QA/AE
DevOps Engineer
1. Junior DevOps
2. Intermediate DevOps
3. Senior DevOps
4. Principal DevOps
5. Lead DevOps
Business Analyst
1. Junior BA
2. Intermediate BA
3. Senior BA
4. Principal BA
Project Manager
1. Junior PM
2. Intermediate PM
3. Senior PM
4. Principal PM
Career Path Change
All of this sounds defined and predetermined, but what happens if a team member wants to change their career path? The need for change in today’s world of tech is only natural, as new technologies and platforms are always growing and changing, and some do better than others. With all of this in mind, we allow this change to be initiated in one of two ways – by the Department Manager through a knowledge level process, or during a Performance Potential Review, initiated by the Department Manager or the employee.
If both the DM and the employee agree, a Development Plan is created and put into action.
Development Plan
1. Initiation
2. Creation of Development Plan
3. Feedback Session
4. Promotion
Knowledge Level Evaluation Process
A process used to determine and define the seniority level of an employee according to their position and the skill-set prescribed in the job description for the position, in order to perform it with the expected quality.
A KL Evaluation Process can be initiated by the Department Manager on the following occasions:
– Three months after an individual becomes an employee of IT Labs
– During the Performance Potential Review feedback
– Once the DM notices a significant change in the knowledge and skill level of the employee, compared to the previous evaluation
To Sum Up
The importance of having a clear-cut path for every employee and every position is something that not only helps them feel settled, but it gives them a feel of the future, of where they’re heading.
At IT Labs, we know this, which is why we always look for our employees to be at their best – both professionally and personally – as we know that this is the best way for them to grow and develop, becoming future leaders not just in our company, but also our communities and the industry as a whole!
