2019
a case study
Design Career framework
My Role
My role involves leading the delivery of all JACA ladder for the design team. Working closely with the SVP of HRBP and various design leads, I am responsible for ensuring that the project meets all objectives and delivers outstanding results. Throughout the development process, I will monitor performance metrics to ensure that the project delivers on all fronts.
Gojek, one of the largest startups in South Asia, boasts an impressive user base of X million. In order to capitalize on opportunities, we recognize the need to act swiftly and efficiently. To achieve this, we have assembled a highly talented team at Gojek comprising 100+ designers with diverse levels of experience, disciplines, and skill sets.
Given the breadth and depth of our design team, it is imperative that we establish a clear career framework that ensures each individual is appropriately placed and has the opportunity to grow within the company. To this end, Gojek has developed a comprehensive career framework, known as Job and Career Architecture (JACA), which is standardized across the organization. This framework serves as a blueprint for career development at Gojek, enabling employees to map their career trajectories and pursue professional growth opportunities in a structured and systematic manner.
JACA Framework
JACA framework have 3 categories, Scope, Complexity and Leadership
Scope
Scope defines the expected impact, responsibility, and size of a role
Compelxity
Complexity is defined as job complexity to deliver in an operating environment from low to high.
Leadership
Defines expected levels of leadership, for management and non-management roles.
We created a Job and Career Architecture (JACA) for the design team by analyzing our organizational structure, roles, and designer distribution. We developed a framework that caters to our team's needs and focused on determining the number of levels for each role and key development principles. based on that we decided to have 7 ladder (Product Design, Interaction Design, UX writing, Illustrator, Motion Design, Design Ops)
The process
Following a detailed discussion among the design leadership team, we arrived at the decision to incorporate 7 Ladders in our JACA. To initiate the project, we leveraged a design framework akin to that used for designing a product. Our first step was to identify the problem we needed to solve, which was the development of an effective JACA for our designers. This was followed by a competitive benchmarking exercise to gain insights from industry best practices.
Once we had identified the key principles that guided the development process, we commenced building the JACA. To ensure its effectiveness, we tested and iterated the framework. The following are the key steps we undertook during the process.
1. Identify user problem and challenges
2. Benchmark
3. Define JACA principle
4. Build
5. Test and iterate
Identify user problems and challenges
In order to develop JACA, we conducted interviews with designers, managers, leadership, and HR to gain a thorough understanding of their perspectives on the project.
Designers provided insight into their current status and the steps necessary to progress to the next level.
Managers and leaders sought to evaluate designer performance and determine how to calibrate their teams accordingly.
HR aimed to ensure that all team members were assigned to their appropriate levels based on their expertise to ensure proper alignment with compensation and benefits. These discussions proved instrumental in shaping the development of JACA.
The main challenge is that we need to finish all 7 job ladders within 1.5 months.
Benchmarking
Once I have identified the problems and challenges, the next step is to conduct benchmarking with other organizations' career ladders. Thanks to CareerProgression.fyi, I was able to find a lot of inspiration from the website. After conducting some benchmarking, we discovered that there are many similarities between the career ladders; however, many of them only focus on hard skills and fail to address the scope of work.
Competitive benchmarking JACA
Writing the principle
Before i start writing JACA ladder the design leadership decided to have writing guideline for the JACA itself so we have JACA that following design team principle, here is the JACA design principle
1. Equal Importance to principal and management
As Gojek grows, we encounter new failure points with every order of magnitude increase in product complexity. To address these, Design Managers focus on coordination, communication, mentoring, and other areas to increase productivity. We encourage designers to consider this role if they are interested in managing people and leading the organization, but also offer a path for technical leadership as an Individual Contributor.
Our goal is to avoid creating incentives to change roles for the wrong reasons. Both IC and Management leaders at the same level have comparable impact on the business. Proven competency over years of experience is essential.
2. Proven competency over years of experience
We do not have strict minimum requirements for years of experience. Instead, we evaluate the scope of responsibility and impact when recognizing high performers.
Our ladder does include years of experience as guidance for setting expectations and assessing long-term impact. Demonstrating a track record of performance and gaining the necessary experience takes time.
3. Earn your title
We promote both IC and Managers based on consistent demonstration of the next level of performance, rather than strict time-based requirements. Promotions follow increased responsibilities and scope, not the other way around.
At Gojek, we prioritize earning titles through consistently demonstrating the behavior and readiness for increased responsibility.
4. Roles over titles
At Gojek Design, roles and scope take priority over titles. We don't place undue emphasis on titles in our internal discussions. As an L1 designer, you have an equal opportunity to present your ideas and voice your thoughts.
We value the unique contributions of every team member, regardless of their title, and strive to create an inclusive environment where everyone can thrive based on their performance and impact, not their title.
Level 7/8
Head of design
Level 6
Manager
Level 6
Individual Contributor
Level 5
Manager
Level 5
Individual Contributor
Level 4
Manager
Level 4
Individual Contributor
Level 3
Level 2
Level 1
Creation of JACA
To implement our JACA principle, we first developed a playbook to answer all questions related to JACA. We started by defining the six levels we have at Gojek, with each level having specific expectations.
Our ladder stops at level 6, and beyond that, individuals enter leadership roles within the organization. We also defined the roles and responsibilities of both IC and Managers at each level, and clarified when individuals are expected to transition from IC to Manager roles.
Individual Contributor and Design Manager
After settling on all levels, the next step is to create a guideline outlining the responsibilities of individual contributors and design managers. The goal is to help the design team understand the roles of ICs and managers, as the scope of work may expand beyond the guidelines.
Individual contributor
- The leading example of craftsmanship
ICs excel in craftsmanship and possess a diverse set of technical and soft skills. They lead by example in task completion and are often sought after for guidance on technical matters.
- Mentoring
ICs are expected to mentor or guide junior designers in terms of craftsmanship or technical abilities.
- Identify opportunities and level up the quality of craftsmanship
ICs must identify ways to improve their craft, mentor junior designers, and suggest ways to improve project quality independently,
- Acts as the middleman between customers and the organization
ICs serve customers who receive their organization's work and should be aware of customer feedback. They need to prioritize fixing issues with their team.
Design Manager
- The leading example of craftsmanship
Managers are responsible for ensuring their team meets goals and providing support, motivation, and training to employees.
- Acts as the middleman between customers and the organization
Managers handle customer feedback and work with their team to prioritize issue resolution.
- Hires employees
Managers plan headcount and team development with assigned budget.
- Manage a team's/group teams budget
Manager controls spending and invests in the organization's growth.
- Makes decisions for teams/group teams problems
Managers may need to resolve conflicts between team members and can handle it internally or seek assistance from HR.
Gojek design career architecture
After following the step-by-step process outlined above, we will begin constructing our career framework based on the principles and guidance provided. Here is a preview of our career framework.
JACA
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Design Manager
Level 5 Design Manager
Level 6 Design Manager
Scope
- Streams level
- Translate design brief with heavy supervision
- Collaboration with internal design and product team
- Streams level project ownership
- Translate design brief with Medium supervision
- Collaboration with internal design and product team
- Multiple Streams Projects
- Translate clear briefs with No supervision
- Expanded Collaboration with outside function
- Impact on stream/multiple streams
- Multiple Streams KR ownership
- Manage stakeholder with minimum help
- Translate Briefs in ambiguous environment with No supervision
- Project Management and OKR oversight with minimal help
- Impact on the broader product or design org.
- Multiple Streams KR ownership
- Manage stakeholder with no help,
- Accountable lead (multi-streams level)
- Improves and advances established processes
- Identify and provide growth opportunities
- Translate Briefs in ambiguous environment into clear action plans (on product level)
- Project Management and OKR oversight product/function level
- Leads the discussion with stakeholders outside of their function
- Impact beyond the broader product or design org.
- Leads and manages leaders from multiple roles/functions
- Product OKR ownership
- Accountable Lead (Function/Product Level)
- Establish and Improve Processes
- Identify and provide growth opportunities
- Influence Strategy (product/function Level)
- Being the intersection between the leadership and the team
- Translate Briefs in ambiguous environment into clear action plans (on group product level)
- Project Management and OKR oversight group product/function level
- Leads the discussion with stakeholders outside of their function incl. gojek leadership
- Impact beyond the company level
- Extended Stakeholder Management Leads and manages leaders from multiple roles/functions incl. BoD
- Group Product OKR ownership
- Accountable Lead (Function/Group Product Level)
- explore, develop and established a new processes
- Identify and provide growth opportunities
- Influence Strategy (group product/function Level)
- Being the intersection between the leadership and the team
Complexity
- Delivering on S-M Project with heavy supervision
- Learn data
- Understand basic design system
Leadership
- Communicates problem details to stakeholders, and seeking support with help form manager
- Participate in design discussion
- Delivering on S-M Project with medium supervision
- Understanding data
- Understand Design system
- Scoping with supervision
- Assisting research
- Gaining craft proficiency
- Communicates problem details to stakeholders, and seeking support minimum help
- Participate in OKR discussion
- Participate in Hiring
- Driving Cadences
- Delivering on M-L Project with Minimal supervision
- Utilize data
- Understand Design system
- Independent scoping
- Assisting research by driving approaches
- Increasing craft proficiency
- Influence Other
- Independent Eye-Level/Thought Partner Communication outside of function
- OKR Planing(streams level)
- Actively in Hiring
- Driving Cadences
- Mentorship
- Articulate and persuade design decision
- Oversee on S-M Project within streams/multiple streams
- Develop data (team Operational)
- Understand Design system
- Extended scoping
- Assisting research by driving approaches
- Increasing craft proficiency
- Expended Influence Other function
- Contribute support visioning
- Discover and delegate opportunities
- Leading Project planning and management
- Independent Eye-Level/Thought Partner Communication outside of function
- Facilitating OKR Planing(streams level)
- Actively in Hiring including other functions
- Driving alignment
- Driving Cadences
- Support Career Goals through Feedback and Mentoring
- Articulate and persuade design decision
- Building trust
- Drives Morale and Happiness
- Role Model (Brand, UX, Outcomes, Values, Principles)
- Oversee on L-XL Project within Product/function
- Zero-supervision scoping (product/function)
- Develop Data (product level) (Operational Metrics, ROI)
- Contribute and support visioning product/function streams
- Discover and delegate opportunities product/function
- Set expectations and accountability within the team (incl. difficult conversation)
- Risk Mitigation
- Expanded Influence other function
- Independent Eye-Level/Thought Partner Communication outside of function
- OKR Planing (product level)
- Actively in Hiring including other functions and improve hiring process
- Driving alignment (product level)
- Driving Cadences
- Support Career Goals through Feedback and Mentoring
- Articulate and persuade design decision
- Building trust
- Drives Morale and Happiness
- Role Model (Brand, UX, Outcomes, Values, Principles)
- Oversee on XL Project within group Product/function
- Zero-supervision scoping (group product/function/company level)
- Develop Data (product level) (Operational Metrics, ROI)
- Driving visioning group product/function streams
- Discover and delegate opportunities group product/function
- Set expectations and accountability within the team (incl. difficult conversation)
- Risk Mitigation
- Expanded Influence other function
- Guidance team member.
- Independent Eye-Level/Thought Partner Communication outside of function
- Facilitating in OKR planning (Beyond Product Level)
- Actively in Hiring including other functions and improve hiring process
- Driving alignment (group product level)
- Driving Cadences
- Support Career Goals through Feedback and Mentoring
- Articulate and persuade design decision
- Building trust
- Drives Morale and Happiness
- Role Model (Brand, UX, Outcomes, Values, Principles)
- Community Contribution
Design Manager Career path
Test JACA
After finalizing the JACA, we conducted various surveys and silent meetings to gather feedback from designers, leads, and HR. Prior to implementation, our team uncovered some intriguing insights regarding the Career Framework.
- Designers expressed that having examples for each criterion would aid in comprehending the expected outcomes.
- Managers suggested having multiple stages for each level to better manage expectations. For instance, at level 3, there would be 3 early stages for recently promoted designers, 3 middle stages for designers settled at their new level, and 3 high stages for designers ready for promotion. This approach would enable managers to effectively manage expectations.
- HR recommended merging several ladders and specifying them in the JACA examples, as managing 7 ladders is exhausting.
Release and Measure
Once we've incorporated feedback, the crucial next step is to release and measure performance. At Design Gojek, we leave no aspect of operation unmeasured, and this is where Design Ops comes in to support the team by providing reports.
To capture the performance of our career framework, we run a Design Ops report, (another case study). This report captures the designers' understanding and alignment, resulting in a rating of 4 or 5 for around 69% of participants, with only 1-2% rating 1 or 2. In terms of implementation in day-to-day work, we achieve a 62% rating, leaving plenty of room for improvement. With this data, we can launch more initiatives and projects to further support our career framework.
What we learn
After launching the project, I have gained valuable insights that have the potential to drive growth and improvement. These insights include identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the project, discovering new opportunities for innovation, and recognizing potential areas for further development.
- Firstly, building seven career ladders is a challenging feat to maintain. Therefore, it is crucial to create a generic criteria for career ladders, but with specific examples to better understand the career framework.
- Secondly, while the career framework is important, it alone is not sufficient. There are other projects and initiatives needed to support growth and progression, such as how designers can grow, how calibration is managed, and what actions to take for a promotion.
- Thirdly, building a career ladder in just two months poses a significant risk, as it may not capture the essence of a designer's role.
- Lastly, it takes a whole design team to advocate for and utilize the career framework to make it a success.
With these insights, we have identified opportunities for improvement and growth in our career framework to better support the needs of our designers.
Thank you