Career paths that don't confuse people

Your designers don't know what "Senior" means here. Your best PM just asked what it takes to get promoted. And you're writing job descriptions at midnight trying to figure out what a Lead actually does differently from a Principal. We fix that.

The Problem

Most agencies grow by instinct. You hire good people, they do great work, and then two years in, someone asks what it takes to get promoted and you realise you never actually figured that out. You want to help people grow. But you're also running the business, managing clients, and figuring out the next hire. The career framework keeps getting pushed.

Our Approach

That's where we come in. We build career frameworks for how your team actually works. Simple, clear, and light enough that people actually use it.

• How does my work compare to what's expected at my level?
• What does "Senior" mean here?
• What do I need to work on to move forward?

We design frameworks with clear levels, concrete expectations, and real examples from your work. The kind of thing someone reads in 10 minutes and actually finds the answer they were looking for.

This works best for agencies and product teams of 20–100 people who've outgrown "we'll figure it out as we go", but aren't ready for a full HR function yet.

How we'll work together

Phase 1: Discover the North (1 week)

Understand how your team works and what's been holding the framework back. 4h workshop with leadership. We draft the first version of your framework with levels and expectations.

Phase 2: Lock the Framework (2 weeks)

We stress-test the draft with people across levels and roles. Update based on their input. Add real examples from their actual work. Then we prepare the materials to roll it out.

Phase 3: Roll It Out (1-2 weeks)

We present the framework to the full team. Train managers on how to use it in 1-on-1s and reviews. Run Q&A sessions. Leave you with something the team can actually reference.

What you'll walk away with

• A career framework with 5–7 levels and clear expectations for each
• Real behaviour examples pulled from your team's everyday work
• A team that knows how to grow and managers who can have that conversation
• A handbook your team can actually read and use (not a 40-page PDF)

FAQ

How is this different from using Progression or Lattice?

Tools like Progression give you templates. We give you a framework built specifically for how your team works and should work: the skills you value, the projects you ship, the way you're structured.

Do we need to have review cycles in place already?

Nope. Most of our clients don't. We can either integrate the new career framework into your existing process or help you build a new one.

What if our roles are too fluid for levels?

Then we design around that. We've worked with agencies where "designer" means UX one day and brand the next. The framework will reflect both your reality and aspired future.

Can we update the framework later as we grow?

Absolutely. We'll show you how. The best frameworks evolve as your team does.

What happens after the 4-5 weeks?

You own it. You run it. We're available if you need us (updates, training new managers, adding new role families), but you're not dependent on us.