An outstanding organisation mired by the myth (or “mythya”) of job levels - Growth Associate Uniqode Employee Review

I think one of the most debilitating decisions that UNIQODE took in the last few months was to introduce the myth of Job Levels. I mean, come on, you’re a start-up that moves at breakneck speed; where getting things done no matter what is the fuel. How could you suddenly think it’s okay to categorise effort people put into neat little boxes called “job levels” ? And, to top it up, so much as expect people to break that standard and give their “everything,” which was the persistent message from the founders at almost every org-wide all-hands. Is not it counterintuitive? Why would people give more than what you have defined through “levels” ? UNIQODE may argue that they didn’t want job levels to come across as this way (hope they do). But it DID come across this way: An ironic, unfortunate, and self-sabotaging mechanism imposed on hardworking team members. Moreover, this exercise opened a floodgate of chaos, mostly suppressed in conversations between close colleagues, and invoked a chasm of self-doubt about people’s contributions to the org that they worked for as their own! Someone who had moved a critical needle suddenly became associated to an absurd and limiting “job level” defining their capabilities, contributions, and pay scales, instead of being perceived purely for efforts and impact notwithstanding years of experience.