Snyk Career Growth & Development

What makes promotion criteria feel fair and clear — and what evidence supports that?

Promotion criteria should be fair and transparent. They should be clear, objective, consistently applied and well-communicated to all team members. At Snyk, in the solution engineering organization, we defined a career ladder with clearly defined levels and titles, behavioral and technical competencies and what good looks like. Organizations need to clearly outline the responsibilities and requirements of the next-level role so everyone knows what they are aiming for. Most importantly, all team members must have easy and clear access to the promotion criteria and the entire evaluation process. Nothing should be hidden. At Snyk, our leaders were educated on how to socialize and have conversations with their team members to foster a growth mindset. Promotions should also be based on measurable performance metrics and not subjective opinions or favoritism or “time in seat.” At Snyk, within the solution engineering team, we have defined KPIs that we track that include strategic execution, revenue impact, tech win rates and demonstrated competencies. Ultimately, the team member should own their careers, but it is on leadership to give them a platform to succeed.

Which program changed your capability — with what measurable result?

The most impactful learning and development program for my own advancement has been the synergy created by practical experience, complemented by high-quality mentorship and the formal grounding provided by programs like the Harvard Business School learning program on management and leadership principles, two programs I enrolled in at the start of my management journey and the leadership principles principles program a couple of years ago. While practical application offers crucial, real-time feedback and develops intuitive decision-making skills, mentorship provides the necessary context, strategic guidance, and accelerated learning by transferring institutional knowledge and experience. The HBS-style formal education delivered a robust framework of established management theories and leadership models, turning disparate experiences into coherent, actionable principles. This multi-faceted approach ensured for me that leadership development is not just theoretical or purely experiential, but a comprehensive process that builds both competence and confidence. 

Practical experiences I’ve had, like leading a difficult project or managing a conflict, is the crucible where leadership was truly forged. The real work revealed exactly what I didn’t know, creating a clear, compelling need for the knowledge provided by the formal program and the advice from my mentors. The structured program, with the Harvard Business School’s focus on management principles and leadership principles, provides the foundational knowledge and analytical tools, especially since it was in a practical business case format, with real-world examples and leadership challenges. 

What coaching habit consistently moves careers forward?

Consistently helping people move their careers forward is centered around fostering self-discovery, accountability and strategic action. These habits shift the focus from the coach giving answers to the coachee finding their own path. A good coach resists the urge to jump in with advice and instead stays focused on what the coachee is truly saying, including their emotions and underlying assumptions. Asking open-ended questions is also key to self-reflection. Use questions like, “What is the real challenge here?” or “What do you want?” to help the coachee articulate their goals and identify the root challenge, not just the symptom. 

I’ve personally found the “5 Why” method a great way to get to the root cause of the problem. It’s an oldie but a goodie! The method, originally a manufacturing problem-solving technique from Toyota, is a powerful coaching tool I’ve used to help individuals move beyond surface-level symptoms and uncover the root cause of a personal, career or behavioral challenge. The iterative asking of “Why?” fosters deep self-awareness and leads to more sustainable, impactful solutions. I’ve also been a big fan of strengths-based empowerment, like the strength finder’s principle. This coaching method continuously helps the coachee recognize, articulate and leverage their existing strengths and transferable skills to build confidence, which is vital for making smart career decisions. This way helps identify and gently question the self-doubt or negative thought patterns, like imposter syndrome, that hold the coachee back, helping them reframe setbacks as learning opportunities.