Map Your Employees to Figures Levels

Master the process of mapping employee levels in Figures to improve data accuracy and comparisons

Mike Goss avatar
Written by Mike Goss
Updated over a week ago

To map levels on Figures, we've created our own leveling framework. You can find a detailed description, including definitions per level, in the corresponding blog post on our website. Our resources are open source and free for everyone to use and build upon.

Note: Our leveling framework comes in two versions: simple and advanced. The simple version is available by default. If you'd like to use the advanced framework, please contact us and we'll activate it for you.

Mapping Levels for Organizations with Existing Leveling Structures 📊

In the onboarding process, after connecting your HRIS or uploading your data via spreadsheet, the first step involves mapping your organization's levels.

To map your levels to the Figures equivalents, simply choose the correct level from our dropdown menu. Remember to base your mapping choice on the level definitions we provide, rather than just the level names.

After mapping or skipping all levels, click "Next" to proceed to the next step of the onboarding process: mapping locations.

Important: Your own leveling grid may differ from ours. You might have more or fewer levels, or you might use them differently. Make sure to map according to the level definitions rather than the names. Good examples are "manager" or "lead," which can mean different things in different organizations. We recommend referring to the level hints when deciding how to map.


Mapping Levels for Organizations without Leveling Structures 🧩

If your organization doesn't have a leveling structure in place, you'll be prompted later in the onboarding process to map each employee individually. However, we recommend creating a field with levels directly in your HRIS, based on the Figures definitions, to ensure seamless data updates.

Refer to your HRIS documentation for guidance on creating custom fields.


Once the custom field is created, you can designate it as the "level" field within the Figures platform. This will enable us to access and utilize the level data for your organization.

Determining the Correct Level for Each Employee 🤔

To help you decide the right level for each employee, check out the level descriptions and level hints provided (click to enlarge).

Understanding Individual Contributor and Manager Levels 🌟

  • Individual Contributor levels (Beginner to Principal): These levels are for individual contributors who don't manage other employees. You can find more detailed information and definitions for individual contributor levels in this resource.

  • Manager levels (Team Lead to C-Level): Manager levels are for employees who manage others, such as teams, departments, or business units. They should only be assigned to employees with these responsibilities. More detailed information and definitions for manager levels can be found in this resource.

Handling Students, Interns, and Freelancers 🎓

If you've imported students, interns, or freelancers, please skip mapping these individuals. We don't currently have a way to map and compare them on Figures. Additionally, their salaries often differ significantly from those of permanent full-time employees. Including them in our regular mapping grid could distort the benchmarks we offer.

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