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There are three different kinds of Career Ladders available to eligible staff employees, depending on circumstances:
Pre-Defined Career Ladders (previously referred to as "pre-approved" Career Ladders) are designed for staff employed within identified position classification series. Employees may advance along a classification hierarchy consisting of 2 or 3 levels, such as, say, "Analyst" to "Senior Analyst", or "Assistant 1" to "Assistant 2" to "Assistant 3". Click here for examples of pre-defined career ladders.
Individualized Career Ladders are designed to allow an employee to bridge into a higher position in a different family of classifications or into a position in the same family but not within a pre-defined hierarchy. Individualized Career Ladders are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in discussion with HR, to determine whether the progression is appropriate to specific organizational needs, as well as compliant with overall Career Ladder guidelines.
Vertical Career Ladder programs, either Pre-Defined or Individualized, are predicated on the identification of the "Distinguishing Characteristics" between the responsibilities of the position classification currently held by the employee and those of the higher level classification to which the employee aspires.
Distinguishing characteristics are those key functional responsibilities of a position classification that make it significantly different from and greater than another classification at a lower pay grade. Distinguishing characteristics may in some cases be specifically noted as such on the description for the position classification. If they are not listed, then departments should use the 3 to 5 duty statements in the description that clearly define the difference in responsibility levels between the 2 positions. Departments should always consult with HR during the process of identifying distinguishing characteristics for the purpose of initiating a Vertical Career Ladder
In cases where a vertical Career Ladder is not available or appropriate to the circumstances of an employee, it may be possible, under defined circumstances, to undertake an "In-Range" Career Ladder program to advance in responsibility without changing position classification. "In-Range" Career Ladders are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in discussion with HR, to determine whether the progression is appropriate to specific organizational needs and in compliance with overall Career Ladder guidelines.