The Assessment Committee at Dreamix is responsible for helping people grow and constantly improve themselves by evaluating them few times a year and sets appropriate steps for improvement. The outcome is a proposition for salary updates, salary and bonus model improvement, and feedback for each member of the team.
This year our assessment Committee includes the most experienced technical gurus @Dreamix. Led by our CTO Angel and Todor (our Oracle Fusion Evangelist) supported by Yanev and Hristo, both Technical Leads, BI and EAI experts and myself as an organizer of the process. The Committee’s average experience in software development and project management is ~ 12 years – we definitely can trust the judgment of these guys!
So far couple of meetings have been done and the main topics for hot debates were:
- assessment criteria and competencies
- how to promote those criteria and encourage all who are motivated or show results according to them
- how to setup an environment that helps people grow
Assessment criteria and competencies
Criteria are separated in 2 groups – technical and personal competencies.
Our Competence Model is quite detailed in what a developer should possess as a technical skill set.
Generally the levels for the technical guys are:
- Entry level/Junior Software Developer
Almost no previous experience. - Middle
A Couple of years experience. - Senior
Self-confident. Can assist a couple of developers. - PM/Technical Lead
Leads a team. Delivers a project. Communicates with client’s technical representative. - Consultant
Consult clients onsite and negotiate future projects offsite.
There are 2 categories for assessment here:
- Depth – knowledge in depth for a certain technology stack. Like ADF, or Spring, Hibernate or some of our BI stacks
- Wide – overview of a wide range of software technologies and methodologies.
Opposite to the last year, where technical skills were prevailing now we consider soft skills as a major factor in the assessment process. The Committee found the following as most important:
- Self-dependent and confident
– To progress independently with the task assigned even if no assistance could be provided
– To search and find the right people to speak with in case of an issueÂ
– Ability to take appropriate decisions and responsibilities
- Responsible
– Ready to put more effort when required by client/management
– Permanently seeks for tasks when no have been assigned (use the red button on home.dreamix.eu when you want something interesting to do)
- ‘Learning animal’
– Â Would use free time to learn something useful
- Smart
– Understand task requirements quickly and easilyÂ
– Find task solutionsÂ
– Asks the right questionsÂ
– Quickly adapts and learns basics of new domains
- Diligent, organized
– Doing thins from ‘end to end’
– Focused
– Systematic and consistentÂ
– Time management
– PrioritizationÂ
– Organizational skills
- Creative
– Innovative
– Proactive
– Alternative thinking
- Teamwork
– Communication skills
- Leadership skills
Other factors that affect forming of the salary at Dreamix areÂ
- years of experience (both before and at Dreamix)
- coolness (:
Factors like motivated, social (also online), responsive are promoted trough а bonus system.
Inspired by:
Here is a list of questions I still seek answers to. I’m eager to hear do you know how your salary is formed? What bonus systems do you find satisfying?
And some specific questions for our HR readers – how do you think people should be assessed? Are soft skills more important than technical skills? Is the ‘years of professional experience’ factor important?Â
