Competencies

GitLab has competencies as a common framework to learn things. This page is a Single Source of Truth (SSoT) resource for our competencies.

A competency is defined as a set of skills, knowledge, and behaviors that allow an individual to effectively and efficiently carry out their role. There are three key categories of competencies at GitLab:

• Values Competencies - a common set of behaviors and skills that reflect the organizational values needed across the workforce
• Remote Competencies - the skills and knowledge required to perform in an all-remote environment
• Functional Competencies - the skills, knowledge, and behaviors required to perform at the functional level

Principles

1. We will re-use the same materials for different audiences by having them on a Single Source of Truth (SSoT) competency page
2. We will make competencies accessible to everyone in the world, including knowledge assessments, to validate understanding a competency (via Google forms and Zapier)
3. We will work handbook first so everyone can contribute

Where we use competencies

The following initiatives should use the same competencies as their SSoT. Instead of maintaining separate materials they should link back to the most relevant place where the competency is defined. For general competencies, this is likely our values page. For role specific competencies, this is likely the job-family page. For example, we should have one SSoT for how to articulate the value of GitLab.

1. Job family requirements
2. Interview scoring
3. Promotion criteria
4. 9 box assessments
5. Performance/Potential criteria
6. Succession planning
7. Learning and development
8. PDPs/PIPs
9. Career development
10. 360 reviews
11. Sales training
12. Sales enablement sessions
13. Field enablement
14. GitLab Training tracks
15. GitLab University
16. Customer Success Skills Exchange Sessions
17. Professional services offerings
18. Onboarding both general and department specific
19. Learn@GitLab
20. Customer Success GitLab Demos platform & catalog
21. Customer Services Guided Explorations (How Guided Explorations are engineered for compounded reuse for competency development)
22. Udemy course
23. Education service offering

Content

1. Content is in the relevant section of our handbook (with embedded videos and pictures)
2. Knowledge assessments are created in Google Forms (via Zapier)

Structure

Some competencies are based on job-level and others are based on your role.

Values competencies are defined by job-level. For example, the definition of competency in the GitLab value of iteration and how you demonstrate that competency are different whether you are an Intermediate Product Manager or a Chief Product Officer.

In general, the scope of impact and expected behaviors expands as job level increases.

Remote Work Competencies are defined by role: team member or people leader. Team members should understand and apply remote work competencies to their daily work. People leaders should understand, apply, coach and develop team members on remote work competencies.

List

Each of the values and remote work competencies have a knowledge assessment in the relevant section of the handbook that you can take to self assess your current level of understanding.

Values Competencies

1. Collaboration
2. Results
3. Efficiency
4. Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging
5. Iteration
6. Transparency

In addition to the knowledge assessments for each value, you can take this Knowledge Assessment to become certified in the values.

Remote Work Competencies

1. Manager of One
2. Effective Communication : includes Working async: Why and How, Well written artifacts, Single Source of Truth and Producing video
3. Handbook first
4. Using GitLab

Test your knowledge and self-reflect on the Remote Work Competencies by completing the knowledge assessment as a People Leader or an Individual Contributor. Earn at least an 80% to receive a certificate!

Functional Competencies

1. Field Competencies
2. Engineering Competencies
3. Product Management Competencies

Manager and Leadership Competencies

In addition to our values, remote work, and functional competencies, we have identified manager competencies that serve as the foundation to a whole person approach to management. Our leadership and management development programs incorporate the competencies as the bedrock for creating impactful training for our people.

1. Emotional Intelligence
2. Modeling a Culture of Feedback
3. Coaching
4. Conflict Resolution
5. Building High Performing Teams

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