Career Ladders
Who is Eligible?
What Positions are Eligible?
Why Participate in Career Ladders?
How to Initiate a Career Ladder Progression
Pre-Approved Career Ladders
Individual Career Ladders
For Managers
Supporting Documents to Start a Career Ladder
To Complete a Career Ladder
Note to Managers
A Career Ladder is a planned progression to a new job and provides
another way for employees to advance in their UNM careers. Since the
employee and the manager negotiate the advancement to the next higher
level position, there does not have to be a position vacancy. Career
Ladder progression is a two-fold process. The department must need the
higher level position, and the employee must be both interested in the
higher level job as well as demonstrate the potential to attain the
skills needed to perform it successfully. This program can provide a
valuable opportunity for both employee and organization development.
Who is Eligible?
You are eligible if you are a regular full or part-time employee who
is not on probation. The overall rating on your most recent performance
review must reflect overall performance that "Meets
Expectations" or better. During a Career Ladder, you must maintain
your performance at this level. If your job is classified as a manager
or higher, you are not eligible for a Career Ladder. All other job
titles, however, are eligible for either a pre-approved or individual
Career Ladder.
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What Positions are Eligible?
The primary criterion for advancement through a Career Ladder is
whether or not your department needs someone to perform the more complex
duties and responsibilities stated in the job description for the higher
classification. The positions that lend themselves most readily to a
Career Ladder are those already assigned a regular progression, i.e.,
jobs with levels such as I, II, and III.
However, individual Career Ladders can be developed for most jobs. A
sample of the administrative support career ladder is provided at the
end of this section of the Guide.
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Why Participate in Career Ladders?
Employees
- You can learn new skills and duties at your own pace while
performing your current duties.
- You can advance in your current position without competition.
- You can demonstrate initiative and a willingness to consider
department and University goals.
- You can assume more responsibility and advance your career without
moving to a different department.
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Managers
- You retain valued employees who are motivated to advance their
careers.
- You can attract high quality employees.
- You maintain a work force of well-trained employees who have high
morale.
- You provide more high quality products and services to your
customers.
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How to Initiate a Career Ladder Progression
There are two types of Career Ladders: Pre-Approved and Individual.
The Pre-Approved Career Ladders have been developed by Human Resources
and are available on the Web at This Link.
This page will be updated as career ladders are pre-approved. The
Individual Career Ladder is used for progressions where no pre-approved
ladder exists and for unique progressions. For example, an Individual
Career Ladder might be used for an employee who is an Administrative
Assistant I and wishes to progress to an Accounting Tech position.
After you and your manager have agreed that a Career Ladder is
appropriate, the process is initiated by your manager. A completed
Pre-Approved or Individual Career Ladder form, containing the education,
experience, distinguishing characteristics and job responsibilities
required for progression to the higher classification is required. You
and your manager complete and sign this form. It includes a proposed
time-line for completing the acquisition of the necessary skills or
knowledge and the proposed salary increase. The salary increase will be
based on your additional qualifications using the same criteria that
would be used if the next level position had been filled through
recruitment. Pre-approved Career Ladders are developed by Human
Resources while Individual Career Ladders are developed by your manager,
then approved by Human Resources.
A copy of the signed Career Ladder form is sent to Human Resources
for approval before you start the tasks listed on the form.
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Pre-Approved Career Ladders
For a Pre-Approved Career Ladder, the distinguishing characteristics
of the proposed higher level classification have been analyzed, and the
progression between the existing and the proposed classifications has
been approved in advance. Pre-approved progressions exist within
particular Job Families and are typically positions that have been set
up in levels such as I, II and III or "regular" and
"senior." A list of the pre-approved career ladders is on the
web at This Link.
Although a Career Ladder plan may be pre-approved, there are also
eligibility requirements pertaining to specific Pre-Approved Career
Ladders, all of which must be met before the plan is approved.
These requirements are detailed on the Manager's Eligibility
Checklist and the Pre-Approved Career Ladder forms found at the end of
this section.
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Individual Career Ladders
For a Career Ladder move between positions that have not been
pre-approved, your manager analyzes the progression and the
distinguishing characteristics of both the current and proposed higher
classification and inserts them into a blank Individual Career Ladder
form. This form is submitted to Human Resources for approval. In
addition, the eligibility requirements listed on the Manager's
Eligibility Checklist must be met.
The length of time needed to complete your plan depends on:
- The time it takes you to attain the qualifications, knowledge,
skills and abilities required by the higher level classification. All
distinguishing characteristics must be attained before the ladder can
be completed.
- The time it takes for you to demonstrate effectiveness in the
higher level classification.
- The time it takes the department to develop the need for the
responsibilities of the higher level classification. Generally, a
Career Ladder can be expected to take at least six months to complete.
Getting started
- First, meet with your manager to discuss your interest in a Career
Ladder.
Working with your manager
- Discuss your plans and goals with your manager. Decide if, after
considering the four different career development programs, a Career
Ladder approach is appropriate for you and the department. There must
be an organizational need for the duties of the higher level
classification, so discuss this with your manager. Check if you are
eligible for a Career Ladder plan by consulting "Eligibility
Criteria for Career Ladders Progression" chart, at the end of this
section.Check the Human Resources list of Pre-Approved Career Ladder
Progression Summaries. Job titles will be added to this list, so check
the Web site for updates at This Link
- For a Career Ladder progression that is not pre-approved, your
manager can obtain an Individual
Career Ladder form from Human Resources. He or she can develop and
provide the distinguishing characteristics necessary for the higher
level classification.
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For Managers
- Discuss your employee's proposed Career Ladder plan in light of
departmental plans and goals.
- Complete the Manager's Eligibility Checklist (Form 1) at the end of
this section.
- If the employee is eligible for a Career Ladder, and is interested
in progressing to a position on the eligible list, complete the
Pre-Approved Career Ladder form and submit it to Human Resources.
- If there is not a Pre-Approved Career Ladder available, consider
using the Individual Career Ladder option. Estimating pay rate upon
completion
Estimating pay rate upon completion
- The salary increase is given when the Career Ladder is completed.
- Consider that the employee's base pay must be at least the minimum
of the range of the higher level classification.
- The guidelines for salary increases found in University
policy #3500 apply to employees promoted through a Career Ladder.
- Consider that employee pay rate increases should be reviewed based
on qualifications that are related to duties and skills of the new
position.
- Consider that a reasonable promotional increase is typically 10%.
- Review the increase in the context of other employees in similar
positions in the department.
- Remember that a salary adjustment made as the result of a Career
Ladder will not trigger an equity adjustment salary increase for other
employees of the same grade and job title within your department.
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Supporting Documents to Start a Career Ladder
- Department organizational chart - PZRORGH
- The employee's most recent performance review, reflecting
"Meets Expectations" or above on the overall rating
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To Complete a Career Ladder
Forward the following information to Human Resources:
- A copy of any certificates, licenses, transcripts, degrees, etc.
that have resulted from a Career Ladder
- Personnel Action Notice reflecting the appropriate changes
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Note to Managers
As a position within your department becomes vacant, you are
encouraged to evaluate the current level of classification for the
vacancy. You may consider using the opportunity of the vacancy to revert
the vacancy classification back to the its original level, in order to
provide growth planning for a new employee filling this vacancy, and to
generate additional funding to the department, perhaps for meeting new
Career Ladder plans.
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