Each company recruits and evaluates its employees differently. If you want to hire the best experts, their evaluation must also be determined on the highest level, with attention to detail. Therefore, over 6 years ago, Espeo Software developed innovative tools – competence matrices. What are they and how do we use them within the company? Read on to find out.
From this article you will learn:
- What were we guided by in the competency matrices development process?
- Who was involved in the process and how long did it take?
- What does the matrix structure look like?
- Why do we pay so much attention to soft skills?
- How did competency matrices affect Espeo after they were implemented?
Objectives of the competence matrices
The main goals of the matrices were to create a transparent tool for the employee evaluation at the recruitment stage as well as for the evaluation of current employees and improving their competencies. We wanted every person entering the recruitment process to retain an objective assessment and a clear feedback on their competencies. Within the company, we aimed to create an objective employee evaluation process based on a generally available tool. The intention was to help determine the individual career path of each employee and stimulate their development opportunities. An additional goal was to eliminate the salary discrepancy and make the rates transparent. We wanted the company to avoid wage inequalities, which could happen without a transparent employee appraisal system.
People involved and process timeline
People who were involved in the development of employees and their competencies as well as in the recruitment of new talents were asked to participate in the matrices creation process. The project could not miss people representing every technology that we use within the company as well as representatives of every department. By doing so, we could ensure that the tool is as accurate and reliable as possible. The entire process of creating and implementing matrices lasted about a year.
Matrix construction
Thanks to the joint work, it was possible to create the optimal tool that the company needed. The matrices are used in two processes: during recruitment interviews conducted by our technical recruiters, and during employee evaluation within the company (which can be conducted even every six months) supervised by Team Leaders. Matrices have been developed for each engineer role, for Project Managers, and the HR department. From last year on, we have also been working on creating matrices for the rest of positions within the organization. Each matrix at Espeo Software consists of two pillars: soft competencies and technical competencies. There are 5 key competencies for each role in each technical pillar. Also, 5 competencies are found in the soft pillar, while they are common to all roles. During the recruitment interview and the employee evaluation, they are rated on a scale from 1 to 5, which means that each pillar can score a maximum of 25 points. In the scale of the entire matrix, that gives a maximum of 50 points. The sum of points obtained during the interview determines the level of the position and the appropriate salary. The following demo video shows the construction of a sample matrix.
Why do half of the competencies concern soft skills?
As Tomasz Liberski, Service Delivery Director at Espeo Software highlighted: “We believe that the candidate’s cultural fit is invaluable and as important as the technical skills that can be acquired at any stage of the career. Skills such as presentation, communication with the client, or teamwork are crucial from the point of view of our clients, for whom our developers are not only programmers but also technical consultants. “
Calculate how many points and how much salary you can expect at Espeo by using our online calculator. Check how our competence matrices work!
The impact of the matrices
What do our employees think about the competence matrices? We posed this question to our Lead Android Engineer – Maciej Kozłowski. Maciej uses matrices o a daily basis to assess candidates as a Technical Recruiter as well as to evaluate our employees as a Team Leader. Here’s what he told us: “Thanks to the competence matrices, we have one way of assessing candidates in the company, which allows for the elimination of subjective assessment of the recruiter. Inside the company, it is a perfect tool for setting employee goals. Everyone has a clear career path and knows what to do to advance”. Matrices are also appreciated by our candidates, who especially value their understandable structure and transparency of rates adjusted to each level.
“During the recruitment process, I talked with candidates about matrices more than once because they became interested in this type of evaluation process. Interestingly, I heard from some of them during onboarding that the matrices had a big impact on the decision to accept the offer.”
Bartosz Telesiński, Senior Software Developer & Technical Recruiter
Thanks to the introduction of the competence matrices at Espeo Software, it is possible to hire the best employees who are assessed in the same, transparent way, having provided explicit salary rates at the level they obtained after the interview. As a result of this, we are sure that the right candidates have been selected for a given position during an objective evaluation process. Furthermore, thanks to the matrices within the company, each employee is aware of what competencies he/she lacks in order to reach at a higher level and where to focus on improving. The whole process is monitored and supported by Team Leaders who assist in selecting the right training according to the development plan.
