How should a start-up conduct a performance review/evaluation for a promotion?
I work for a very technical and niche start-up as a Frontend Developer. For context, we have 3 F.E. devs and 3 B.E. devs. I was hired as a vaguely-level intermediate developer, and after about nine months at this company, my F.E. lead is advocating for me to be a Senior developer. The only issue is that the company hasn't done internal promotions before, and they're a bit stalled whilst considering how to best handle the process. There's also some ambiguity in measuring a Front-end developer's skills - especially compared to a back-end developer; Our CEO is also a seasoned back-end developer, so he understands technical skills but is unclear on how it maps to Front-end skills.
What are some things I can bring up to my company's leadership on how to measure my skills and value? Such to help facilitate a conversation around my promotion.
![Mid-Level Software Engineer [SDE 2] at Amazon company logo](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ffirebasestorage.googleapis.com%2Fv0%2Fb%2Ftech-career-growth.appspot.com%2Fo%2Fcompany_logos%252Famazon_logo.jpg%3Falt%3Dmedia%26token%3Dff5f2302-08be-43bc-b7b1-d381ba508d99&w=48&q=75){kind=logo}
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Discussion
(2 comments)- a year agoRobinhood, Meta, Course Hero, PayPal
I recommend proposing some version of 360 feedback to your company's leadership. Here's some useful resources to help there:
- 360 Feedback: The BEST Performance Review System Top Companies Use
- "How can I introduce peer review feedback in my company?"
What are some things I can bring up to my company's leadership on how to measure my skills and value?
I would stay away from the word "measure" when it comes to software engineer performance, especially for senior engineers. It's just so hard (and fundamentally incorrect) to reduce the value of a software engineer to numbers. I would talk to your company's engineering leadership about establishing some sort of formal engineering career matrix that lays out expectations at a high-level for each software engineering level. If you end up going down that route, 2 factors to consider are scope and impact. Here's some useful resources there:
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a year agoComstock Software, IncHow do your accomplishments contribute to the business and its customers? Think in terms of business and economic impact. Speed, consistency, and re-work all contribute to the bottom line. That's what the CEO wants to see: your contribution to the bottom line thru new features or bug fixes.
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