HR / Free editable template

Career ladder template

A career ladder shows what is expected at each level, so people can see what the next step involves and managers can make consistent promotion decisions. This example covers a marketing team across five levels, with a manager or specialist route at level four, typical evidence for each step and the criteria for promotion.

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Preview the career ladder

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Career ladder example showing five levels drawn as a staircase, scope, skills, impact and evidence, promotion criteria strip
Everything in this example is editable. Replace the labels, move the shapes and adapt the layout to your work.

How to use this template

  1. Describe the difference between levels

    Write what changes from one step to the next: the size of the work, how much review it needs and who benefits. Repeating the same skills with "advanced" added gives people nothing to aim for.

  2. Offer a specialist route

    Add a lead specialist path if experts should be able to progress without managing people. Otherwise strong practitioners may take management roles they do not want.

  3. Tie promotion to evidence

    List the kinds of work that show someone is already operating at the next level. Managers can then bring comparable evidence to calibration instead of personal impressions.

Questions about this template

Can I add a specialist track beside the ladder?

Yes. Copy the upper steps and rename them for a senior specialist route, so people can progress without managing a team.

Do I need an account to use it?

No. Open the template and edit it in your browser. Your work saves on this device. An account is optional if you want to sync your workspace.

Can I export the finished diagram?

Yes. Use Export in the editor to save a PNG, SVG or PDF, or download an editable .epicdraw backup.

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