At some companies, promotions are a surprise. That’s not the case at McMaster-Carr.
When Spencer Twaddle, lead engineer, hears about a promotion, it’s rarely out of the blue — and that’s because the team culture is centered around nurturing career growth.
“I’m never surprised when I see someone get promoted,” Twaddle said. “I’ve usually heard about the work they’ve been doing and the impact they’re making in our department, or someone I know has. It really makes me feel like a promotion is a reward for consistently doing good work.”
Promotions aren’t a curveball at Belvedere Trading, either.
Lucas Frey experienced this firsthand. When he was promoted to the role of automation engineer, he said it was because he had ongoing support from his manager and access to company resources from the start of his career at Belvedere.
“On day one, I utilized the gap analysis template and the leveling matrix to see what skills I need to focus on to be eligible for the next level,” Frey said.
Companies that make strategic investments in employee career development don’t just have more satisfied employees — they also see boosts in profitability and employee retention.
Built In spoke with Twaddle and Frey in detail about their paths to promotion and the company culture that supported them along the way.
A one-stop-source for industrial supplies, McMaster-Carr is an e-commerce company offering more than half a million products used to keep business in motion.
What makes promotion criteria feel fair and clear — and what evidence supports it?
I’m never surprised when I see someone get promoted. I’ve usually heard about the work they’ve been doing and the impact they’re making in our department, or someone I know has. It really makes me feel like a promotion is a reward for consistently doing good work. On top of that we have a set of competencies that we use to guide reviews and help determine when someone is ready for a promotion. The competencies build on top of each other as you advance through the roles and act as guidance for how to grow yourself and your career.
What a path to promotion looks like at McMaster-Carr
“We have a set of competencies that we use to guide reviews and help determine when someone is ready for a promotion. The competencies build on top of each other as you advance through the roles and act as guidance for how to grow yourself and your career.”
Which program most improved your capability in your role — and what changed after?
While I have participated in a variety of different programs outside of my project work at McMaster, I think my project work is actually the main way that I’ve been able to grow here. We structure our teams around our project work, so in the last five years I’ve worked on several different teams and have been given a variety of different opportunities based on the needs of each project. This has provided me time to focus on skills like communicating with non-technical stakeholders, coaching engineers, modernizing legacy systems, designing greenfield systems, and many more. All of these opportunities have allowed me to expand my impact in our department and advance my career.
What manager or mentor behavior consistently accelerates growth?
All of my managers at McMaster have consistently made an effort to assign stretch work to ensure I’m learning new things and developing my skills. Now that I’m in management I’ve carried this into my planning meetings too. Every couple weeks when we’re deciding how to assign project work, one of the factors we consider is whether any of the work items represent a good growth opportunity for a member of the team. This allows us to consistently give people growth opportunities that align with our competencies and allow them to take steps forward in their careers. This practice is widespread in our department and reflects our high expectations as well as the support that we want to provide our team members. My managers have also generally been open to me initiating work based on needs that I see in our project or the department as a whole. Designing and implementing features and tools that I’ve advocated for has been a great way for me to learn and benefit our department.
Belvedere Trading is a proprietary trading firm specializing in equity index options and other derivatives.
What makes promotion criteria feel fair and clear — and what evidence supports it?
Belvedere Trading’s leveling matrix makes promotion criteria feel quantifiable and fair. The leveling matrix outlines 20 to 30 specific skills per level for team members to clearly understand what’s expected of them to qualify for promotion. Belvedere Trading goes a step further by providing gap analysis templates to highlight where a team member’s current skills differ from leveling expectations. This creates a clear and actionable path to own your growth. Recently, I was promoted to an automation engineer. On day one, I utilized the gap analysis template and the leveling matrix to see what skills I need to focus on to be eligible for the next level.
What a path to promotion looks like at Belvedere Trading
“Belvedere Trading’s leveling matrix makes promotion criteria feel quantifiable and fair. The leveling matrix outlines 20-30 specific skills per level for team members to clearly understand what’s expected of them to qualify for promotion.”
Which program most improved your capability in your role — and what changed after?
Belvedere Trading University has improved my capability in my role. When I started on the trade support team, my background was in computer science and mathematics rather than trading and analytics. BTU provides a strong baseline understanding of Belvedere Trading’s proprietary high-frequency trading tools and software. As a new team member, it quickly became clear Belvedere is committed to excellence and views educating its team members as an accelerant toward companywide success. After spending a month in BTU, I was able to jump right into my new role with all the tools necessary for success.
What manager or mentor behavior consistently accelerates growth?
One of Belvedere Trading’s core values is “Me In Team.” It emphasizes individual ownership of career growth within a team-oriented culture. I’ve been on three teams throughout my time at Belvedere Trading. On each team, my manager actively invested in my development and my Me In Team goals. We meet bi-weekly for one-on-one check-ins to discuss current projects, skill development, and career growth. Additionally, Belvedere Trading facilitates semiannual 360 reviews where managers and selected teammates provide structured feedback on strengths and opportunities for growth. Both the regular one-on-ones and the semiannual 360 feedback have kept my manager and me consistently aligned on expectations and growth areas. This feedback and my manager’s advocacy have been key factors in each of my promotions.
