Endorsements
Endorsing is the opportunity for engineering leaders at Inviqa to formally recognise a team member's growth on their behalf. The endorsement process is similar to the process for micro-credential assessments but is not initiated by the engineer.
Successful endorsements result in a micro-credential.
Process
- An engineering leader (TTL/Senior II+) decides to endorse a candidate who they think clearly excels at skill(s) from a higher level than their current seniority in our framework. They are confident that the candidate can score at least 8 out of 10 before writing an endorsement (see the 'Skill scoring' section to understand the scale).
- The endorser creates a document from the Micro-credential application template. They provide examples of evidence and justification and provide a score out of 10. This justification does not necessarily need to be the high level of detailed evidence required for a candidate-driven application, but it must be clear and verifiable.
- The assessment is passed to an(other) SEM/Principal/Head of Engineering/Head of Development for review.
- Any concerns from the review process will be discussed between the assessors. If need be, the original endorser can be asked to bring further justification. Alternatively, the application can be removed if agreed that the candidates level is not quite high enough.
- If the endorsement is successful the result will be given to the candidate, along with the micro-credential on their Inviqa Me profile.
Advantages
- Encourage feedback culture and the responsibility of our engineering leaders to develop our employees.
- Reduce the time taken and overhead around formal promotion assessment.
- Provide a positive boost to those lacking confidence and unsure of their abilities if someone more senior can recognise it on their behalf.
Caveats
See the caveats for micro-credentials.
When to use endorsements
If you are looking to endorse someone, it is recommended to check in with their line manager and keep them informed.
Endorsement is potentially open to abuse. It is designed to be driven by the engineering leaders and less by the candidates. Whilst there will be valid times when you should approach someone to endorse you, please do so in moderation.
Good use of endorsement
- Senior II is working closely with an Engineer II and witnesses obvious examples of their Language Knowledge way beyond their level. They decide to submit an endorsement on their behalf, informing them of their intentions.
- A TTL is working with a Senior I who is keen to take the step into a leadership role. They delegate responsibilities on a mini project which the individual relishes and overperforms. They decide to submit an endorsement for Responsibility & Ownership skill.
- A Senior Engineer I has been flat out on a project for a while, working on optimising the performance of an application. They have no let-up for the coming weeks. They ask the SEM who is overseeing their project if they will endorse them for the Performance skill, whilst the progress is fresh to both parties.
Bad use of endorsement
- Asking a TTL, SEM and Senior II on your projects to endorse you for lots of different skills because it's an easier route than writing your own submission.