Initial State:

When I took over the Design team in 2009, the average retention rate was 3-4 years. Designers questioned: with a small team and only one team head, how could they grow? I also recognized that turn-over in our team was our greatest contributor to loss of productivity.

My Challenge:

Increase retention on the design team by giving team members work they are passionate about and co-developing a path for growth.

Results:

I created several tiers of design roles from Designer 1 to Senior Designer to Principle Designer with specific criteria to make expectations transparent for the team and advancement equitable. I started pairing designers with mentors in the company to get a broader understanding of our business. I co-developed growth plans with each designer that combined their personal and company goals. I also supported several designers from our team growing into management roles in Marketing and Product Management. With these activities I was able to increase retention to an average of 6-7 years and have a more motivated and passionate team who love what they do.