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Seniority Levels Setup

This guide provides detailed instructions for configuring and managing seniority levels in ManagerDash.

What Are Seniority Levels?​

Seniority levels help you classify team members by experience, responsibility, and expectations. They provide context for:

  • Skills assessments (expectations vary by level)
  • Goal setting (appropriate complexity)
  • Performance evaluations (level-appropriate standards)
  • Career progression tracking
  • Team composition analysis

Examples:

  • Early Career Engineer → Senior Engineer → Staff Engineer
  • IC1 → IC2 → IC3 → IC4
  • Developer → Senior Developer → Lead Developer → Principal

Why Use Seniority Levels?​

Benefits​

Contextual Assessment:

  • Skills ratings make more sense with level context
  • "On track" for Early Career ≠ "On track" for Senior
  • Compare people at same level fairly

Career Development:

  • Track progression between levels
  • Set level-appropriate goals
  • Plan promotions with clear criteria
  • Document growth over time

Team Analysis:

  • Understand team composition
  • Identify level imbalances
  • Plan hiring needs
  • Balance experience distribution

Reporting:

  • Include level in reports
  • Filter/group by seniority
  • Track promotion timelines
  • Show career progression

Accessing Seniority Level Configuration​

Step 1: Open Settings​

  1. Launch ManagerDash
  2. Look at the bottom of the left sidebar
  3. Click the Settings (gear icon) button
  4. Click Manage Teams from the dropdown menu

Step 2: Navigate to Seniority Levels​

  1. The Manage Teams modal opens
  2. Look for tabs or sections at the top
  3. Find and click Seniority Levels tab/section
  4. You'll see a list of existing levels (if any)

Creating Seniority Levels​

Basic Setup​

Step 1: Click Add Button

  • Look for "+ Add Seniority Level" or similar button
  • Click it to open the creation form

Step 2: Fill in Required Fields

Code (required):

  • Short identifier (2-4 characters)
  • Examples: "JR", "SR", "STF", "IC3"
  • Used in compact views
  • Keep it simple and clear

Title (required):

  • Full level name
  • Examples: "Early Career Engineer", "Senior Engineer"
  • What you'll see most often
  • Be specific and descriptive

Description (optional but recommended):

  • Detailed explanation of level
  • Responsibilities and expectations
  • Skills typically demonstrated
  • Experience range
  • Helps with consistent leveling

Step 3: Save

  • Click Save or Add button
  • Level appears in the list
  • Now available when adding/editing people

Example Configurations​

Software Engineering Ladder​

Level 1: Early Career Engineer

Code: JR
Title: Early Career Engineer
Description: Early career engineer (0-2 years). Learning fundamentals, 
requires regular guidance. Focuses on well-defined tasks. Building 
technical foundation and professional skills.

Level 2: Engineer

Code: ENG
Title: Engineer
Description: Mid-level engineer (2-5 years). Works independently on 
defined projects. Solid technical fundamentals. Contributes to code 
reviews and team discussions. Occasional mentoring of early career engineers.

Level 3: Senior Engineer

Code: SR
Title: Senior Engineer
Description: Experienced engineer (5-8 years). Leads medium to large 
projects. Strong technical decision-making. Mentors others regularly. 
Influences team practices and standards. Handles ambiguous problems.

Level 4: Staff Engineer

Code: STF
Title: Staff Engineer
Description: Expert engineer (8+ years). Drives technical strategy across 
multiple teams. Solves complex, ambiguous problems. Significant influence 
on architecture and technical direction. Coaches and develops other 
engineers.

Level 5: Principal Engineer

Code: PRI
Title: Principal Engineer
Description: Senior technical leader (12+ years). Sets technical vision 
for organization. Solves company-wide technical challenges. Develops other 
senior engineers. Industry expert and thought leader.

IC Track Framework​

Level 1:

Code: IC1
Title: Individual Contributor Level 1
Description: Entry level. Requires close guidance. Executes on clearly 
defined tasks. Learning core skills and company practices.

Level 2:

Code: IC2
Title: Individual Contributor Level 2
Description: Developing proficiency. Works independently on routine tasks. 
Requires guidance on complex problems. Beginning to contribute ideas.

Level 3:

Code: IC3
Title: Individual Contributor Level 3
Description: Fully proficient. Independent on most tasks. Occasional 
guidance on novel problems. Mentors IC1/IC2. Strong technical contributor.

Level 4:

Code: IC4
Title: Individual Contributor Level 4
Description: Expert level. Leads projects and influences team direction. 
Handles ambiguity well. Develops others. Key technical decision-maker.

Level 5:

Code: IC5
Title: Individual Contributor Level 5
Description: Domain expert. Multi-team impact. Strategic technical 
influence. Develops senior ICs. Sets standards and direction.

Simplified Three-Tier​

Early Career:

Code: JUN
Title: Early Career Developer
Description: 0-3 years experience. Learning phase. Requires regular 
guidance. Focuses on skill development and task execution.

Mid:

Code: MID
Title: Mid-Level Developer
Description: 3-7 years experience. Independent contributor. Solid skills. 
Occasional mentoring. Reliable execution on defined projects.

Senior:

Code: SEN
Title: Senior Developer
Description: 7+ years experience. Technical leader. Mentors others. 
Drives projects. Influences team decisions. Handles complex problems.

Editing Seniority Levels​

When to Edit​

  • Clarifying descriptions
  • Updating expectations
  • Fixing typos
  • Adjusting codes for consistency
  • Refining level criteria

How to Edit​

  1. Open Settings → Manage Teams → Seniority Levels
  2. Find the level you want to edit
  3. Click Edit icon/button next to it
  4. Update the fields:
    • Code (be careful - affects existing contributor)
    • Title (safe to change)
    • Description (safe to change)
  5. Click Save
  6. Changes apply immediately

Important Considerations​

Changing Codes:

  • Existing people keep their level assignment
  • But the code they see updates
  • Consider impact on exports/reports
  • Update documentation if you have it

Changing Titles:

  • Safe to do anytime
  • Updates everywhere immediately
  • More descriptive titles are better

Updating Descriptions:

  • No impact on functionality
  • Makes leveling more consistent
  • Good to refine over time

Deleting Seniority Levels​

When to Delete​

  • Level no longer used in your org
  • Consolidating similar levels
  • Simplifying level structure
  • Correcting mistakes

How to Delete​

  1. Open Settings → Manage Teams → Seniority Levels
  2. Find the level to delete
  3. Click Delete icon/button
  4. Confirm deletion if prompted
  5. Level is removed

What Happens to Existing Assignments?​

People currently at this level:

  • They keep their data
  • Their seniority level field becomes unset/empty
  • You can reassign them to different level
  • No other data is affected

Best Practice:

  1. Before deleting, note who has this level
  2. Delete the level
  3. Edit each affected person
  4. Assign them to appropriate new level

Assigning Levels to People​

When Adding a New Person​

  1. Click "+ Add Contributor" in sidebar
  2. Fill in Name, GitHub, etc.
  3. Find Seniority Level dropdown
  4. Select appropriate level (or leave blank)
  5. Save

When Editing Existing Person​

  1. Find person in sidebar
  2. Click three-dot menu (⋮)
  3. Click Edit
  4. Find Seniority Level dropdown
  5. Change selection
  6. Save

Level Assignment Best Practices​

Be Consistent:

  • Use the same criteria for everyone
  • Document your decision-making
  • Review assignments periodically
  • Get second opinions when uncertain

Consider Multiple Factors:

  • Years of experience (but not only this)
  • Demonstrated skills and impact
  • Scope of responsibility
  • Autonomy level
  • Mentoring and leadership

Update on Promotions:

  • Change level when promoting
  • Document in goals or feedback
  • Update immediately after decision
  • Celebrate the promotion!

When Uncertain:

  • Leave blank initially
  • Assess during first month
  • Discuss with team/peers
  • Document reasoning

Best Practices​

Initial Setup​

Start Simple:

  • Begin with 3-4 levels
  • Add more only if needed
  • Easier to add than remove
  • Can always expand later

Document Criteria:

  • What does each level mean?
  • What are expectations?
  • How do you decide?
  • Keep documentation external

Be Consistent with Org:

  • Match company level names if possible
  • Align with HR systems
  • Use familiar terminology
  • Makes reporting easier

Get Input:

  • Discuss with peer managers
  • Review with your manager
  • Consider team feedback
  • Align across organization

Ongoing Management​

Regular Reviews:

  • Quarterly: Review assignments
  • Annually: Review level definitions
  • Update as org evolves
  • Refine descriptions

Calibration Sessions:

  • Meet with other managers
  • Discuss level assignments
  • Ensure consistency
  • Document standards

Promotion Tracking:

  • Update levels promptly
  • Note promotion dates
  • Track time-in-level
  • Support career planning

Documentation:

  • Keep level criteria written down
  • Share with team (appropriately)
  • Use in goal-setting
  • Reference in reviews

Integration with Other Features​

Skills Assessment​

Level Context for Ratings:

  • "On track" means different things at different levels
  • Early career at "On track" for basics
  • Senior at "On track" for advanced skills
  • Set expectations accordingly

Using Levels:

  • Note level in assessment notes
  • Reference in rating decisions
  • Compare within same level
  • Track growth toward next level

Goals​

Level-Appropriate Goals:

  • Early Career: Learning, execution, foundation
  • Mid: Independence, consistency, breadth
  • Senior: Leadership, mentoring, strategy

Promotion Goals:

  • "Demonstrate Senior level skills"
  • Link to level descriptions
  • Clear criteria from descriptions

Reports​

In Reports:

  • Level appears with person's name
  • Provides context for reader
  • Helps explain ratings
  • Shows progression

Filtering:

  • While ManagerDash doesn't filter by level yet
  • You can note it in descriptions
  • Group manually when needed
  • Request feature if valuable

Feedback​

Level-Aware Feedback:

  • Reference level expectations
  • "For a Senior Engineer, expected to..."
  • "Great for early career level"
  • "Ready for next level because..."

Common Patterns​

Career Ladders​

Dual Track:

Individual Contributor Track:
- IC1 → IC2 → IC3 → IC4 → IC5

Management Track:
- M1 → M2 → M3 → M4

Single Track:

Progressive Levels:
- Associate → Engineer → Senior → Staff → Principal

Specialized Tracks:

By Domain:
- Frontend: FE1 → FE2 → FE3
- Backend: BE1 → BE2 → BE3
- Full Stack: FS1 → FS2 → FS3

Naming Conventions​

Numeric:

  • Clear progression
  • Easy to understand
  • No ambiguity
  • Examples: L1, L2, L3 or IC1, IC2, IC3

Descriptive:

  • Self-explanatory
  • No reference needed
  • Clear expectations
  • Examples: Early Career, Senior, Staff

Hybrid:

  • Best of both
  • Clear and numbered
  • Examples: "L3 - Senior Engineer"

Troubleshooting​

Can't Find Seniority Levels Section​

Problem: Don't see where to manage levels

Solution:

  1. Check Settings → Manage Teams
  2. Look for tabs at top of modal
  3. May be labeled "Seniority" or "Levels"
  4. If missing, feature may not be available
  5. Check app version/updates

Changes Not Appearing​

Problem: Updated level but doesn't show

Solution:

  1. Close and reopen Manage Teams modal
  2. Refresh the application
  3. Check if save actually succeeded
  4. Look for error messages

Person's Level Not Updating​

Problem: Changed person's level but still shows old

Solution:

  1. Verify you clicked Save after editing
  2. Refresh the page
  3. Check if you edited correct person
  4. Try editing again

Level Dropdown Empty​

Problem: No levels available when adding person

Solution:

  1. First create seniority levels in Manage Teams
  2. Then add people with levels
  3. Can't assign levels that don't exist yet
  4. Create at least one level first

Migration Strategies​

From No Levels to Levels​

Phase 1: Define Levels

  1. Week 1: Define 3-4 core levels
  2. Document criteria
  3. Get manager alignment
  4. Create in ManagerDash

Phase 2: Assign Levels

  1. Week 2: Assign obvious cases
  2. Week 3: Discuss uncertain cases
  3. Week 4: Complete assignments
  4. Review with team

Phase 3: Use in Workflows

  1. Month 2: Reference in 1-on-1s
  2. Month 2: Use in goal-setting
  3. Month 3: Include in reviews
  4. Ongoing: Track promotions

From Old System to New​

If changing level structure:

  1. Document Current State:

    • Export reports with current levels
    • Note each person's current level
    • Save for reference

  2. Create New Levels:

    • Add new level definitions
    • Include mapping from old to new
    • Document differences

  3. Migrate People:

    • Reassign each person to new level
    • Use your documented mapping
    • Verify each assignment

  4. Clean Up:

    • Delete old levels (after all migrated)
    • Update documentation
    • Communicate changes to team

Examples from Real Organizations​

Tech Startup (15 people)​

JR - Early Career Engineer (0-2 years)
EN - Engineer (2-5 years)  
SR - Senior Engineer (5+ years)

Simple, clear, works for small team.

Mid-Size Company (50+ engineers)​

E1 - Associate Engineer
E2 - Engineer
E3 - Senior Engineer
E4 - Staff Engineer
E5 - Senior Staff Engineer
E6 - Principal Engineer

Standard levels, room for growth, clear progression.

Large Enterprise (100+ engineers)​

IC1 - Entry Level
IC2 - Early Career
IC3 - Intermediate
IC4 - Senior
IC5 - Staff
IC6 - Senior Staff
IC7 - Principal
IC8 - Distinguished Engineer
IC9 - Fellow

Detailed ladder, many levels, rare to reach top.

FAQ​

Q: How many seniority levels should I have? A: 3-5 levels work for most teams. More than 7 gets complicated. Start simple.

Q: Should I use numbers or names? A: Either works. Numbers are clearer for progression. Names are more descriptive. Consider hybrid: "L3 - Senior Engineer".

Q: What if someone is between levels? A: Choose the level they're currently at, not aspiring to. Use goals to track path to next level.

Q: Can I change levels later? A: Yes. Edit anytime. Be careful with codes (affects display) but titles/descriptions are safe to change.

Q: Should levels match our company's official levels? A: Ideally yes, for consistency. But if company levels don't fit your team, adapt them. Document your mapping.

Q: What if we don't have formal levels? A: You can still use them in ManagerDash for your own tracking. Keep it simple: Early Career/Mid/Senior.

Q: Do I have to assign levels to everyone? A: No, they're optional. But they add valuable context for assessments and goals.

Q: How do I handle promotions? A: When someone is promoted, edit their profile and update their seniority level. Add a goal or feedback item noting the promotion.

Q: Can I have different levels for different roles (e.g., Frontend vs Backend)? A: Yes, but consider if it adds value or complexity. Usually better to have unified levels.

Q: What if someone doesn't fit any level? A: This suggests you need to refine your level definitions or add a level. Use feedback and discussions to figure out why they don't fit.