Caterpillar, for example, leverages an internally created tool called
CareerQuest to develop engineers and manage their technical competency
growth. CareerQuest provides a detailed definition of each foundational
competency, along with different levels of demonstrated maturity.
By using CareerQuest, the organization recommends levels of technical
competency for each salary grade, although managers have the freedom
to determine expectations for each employee. CareerQuest facilitates
expectation setting and career development conversations between managers
and engineers by calibrating the manager’s expectation of technical
competency for a given job role with the manager’s and employee’s
assessment. Connecting the assessment of technical competency to rating
scales based on data and actual observations of skills and behaviors
facilitates effective career development discussions at Caterpillar.