Backbase

Brief

Timeline

March – November 2023

Stakeholders

Gaia Armellin (CS Principal UX), Backbase Delivery Director Customer Success, Backbase Global HR Business Partner, Backbase EVP Customer Success

In 2023 and 2024, I took ownership of transforming the Talent Development planning for the Customer Success Design team.

I was responsible for definition, delivery, and iteration on the Career Framework for the global Customer Success department.

Our Approach

The Customer Success Design team at Backbase faced significant challenges due to its rapid growth and lack of a defined career framework. Historically reliant on Research and Development (RnD), the team recognized the need for a tailored approach to role definition and development. This case study outlines the process of creating a comprehensive career framework that addresses recruitment, onboarding, and career progression, ensuring alignment with business needs and individual growth.

1. Identify Key Sub-Roles and Responsibilities: Conducted thorough research to delineate the specific roles and responsibilities of CS UX team members, both in project execution and internal collaboration.
2. Assess Business Needs: Engaged with internal stakeholders and external partners to understand the business requirements that the CS UX team must fulfill.
3. Evaluate Team Needs: Conducted a competitive market analysis to identify the desired growth paths for UX designers, ensuring alignment with industry standards and expectations.
4. Draft Career Framework (CF): Developed an initial draft of the career framework that addressed the needs of HR Talent Development (TD) for long-term retention, Backbase’s business scalability, and the UX team’s desire for diversified growth paths.
5. Gather Feedback: Shared the draft CF with CS UX Leads, Delivery Lead, HR, and Management Team (MT) to solicit feedback and ensure alignment with organizational objectives.
6. Revise and Finalize CF: Iteratively revised the CF based on stakeholder feedback, repeating the review process until a consensus was reached.
7. Implementation: Executed the finalized CF with the Management Team, ensuring it aligned with updated budgetary constraints and business needs while removing any specificities unique to the CS Design team.

Challenges

Approval Flow: The seniority of stakeholders often limited their availability for timely alignment, which posed challenges in the approval process.

Result

• Successfully established a comprehensive career framework that supports the growth and development of the CS UX team.
• Enhanced recruitment strategies and onboarding processes, leading to improved talent retention and satisfaction.

Learnings

MUST HAVE

• Stakeholder engagement and iterative feedback in developing a framework that meets diverse needs.
• Aligning individual career aspirations with organizational goals to foster a culture of growth and innovation.

This case study exemplifies how a strategic approach to talent development can transform a rapidly growing team, ensuring that both individual and organizational needs are met.