Compensation & Pay Transparency at Sourcegraph

Components of compensation

At Sourcegraph, we aim to hire the best possible talent and want to ensure our Teammates feel valued from a compensation standpoint. Our compensation package is composed of : base pay and/or commission, equity, and perks & benefits.

Base pay:

Each job level has a corresponding compensation band. Our band entry points are benchmarked to the 75th percentile of US technology company market data, and the top of the band is 15% above the band entry point. We re-set salary bands every six months in alignment with our Impact Review Process to ensure our compensation remains up to date and market competitive.

If we are given reason to believe that Radford data doesn’t match existing market rates, we may leverage other data sources to verify and/or adjust the band.

Commission:

We provide variable compensation in the form of commissions for roles that are measured by numerical performance. At this point, only certain roles in the Sales and Customer Engineering organizations are eligible for commission.

Equity:

We are an early-stage company, and every Teammate can have a huge impact on our success. We want to make sure that everyone has a financial stake in our success and that contributions are rewarded. You can find more detail in our equity FAQ and our Handbook page on hHow and when stock option grants are calculated](equity-timing.md).

Benefits and perks:

We want our teammates to be happy, healthy, and productive. In order to best support that, we provide competitive perks and benefits.

Determining Teammate pay

Each Teammate at Sourcegraph has a Radford code assigned to them indicating their 1. role and 2. level. These two factors are what dictates each Teammate’s compensation band. You can find your Radford code in the “job” section of your Bamboo profile and the corresponding pay range in Assemble.

1. The People Team leverages market data (with Radford being our primary data source) when determining compensation bands. We establish the band entry points, which is the 75th percentile of US market data. The top of the band is set at 15%, on average, above the band entry point. This means that our compensation band entry points are market competitive from the outset, with plenty of room to grow as Teammates progress in the band. By establishing competitive band entry points, which are already above average, we attract and retain the best talent while maintaining a compensation philosophy that is location agnostic.

   • To ensure we remain market-competitive at all times, we re-evaluate compensation bands every six months, in alignment with our Impact Review Process, to ensure continued market competitiveness.
   • There are rare instances when we need to leverage multiple data sources to determine a compensation band. In these situations, we may combine market data gathered from multiple sources to create the band. The People Team owns compensation strategy and ultimately has the right to make final band determinations when Radford (our primarily data source) doesn’t align with the needs of the business.
   • We are committed to adjusting our compensation bands as the market shifts, or as the scope of roles within Sourcegraph evolve, meaning that our compensation bands have the potential to change every 6-months.

2. Each Teammate is matched to a level, which is then tied to a respective compensation band. Sourcegraph leveling decisions anchor on our leveling guidelines.

How new hire compensation decisions are made

We aim to hire new Teammates at the 75th percentile, or entry point, of the compensation band for their role. Our philosophy is to make offers that are market competitive and consistent, in order to ensure candidates feel appropriately valued and aren’t forced to negotiate. We believe that opening up offers to negotiations can lead to inequitable and biased compensation in the long-term, and we strive to reduce the impact of negotiations on offers and raises as much as possible.

In business-critical cases, we may make exceptions and allow an offer above the entry point of the band. However, this will require a business case that will need to be approved by the Department-Executive, VP of Talent, and CEO. We are extremely conscientious of internal parity and make exceptions only in cases where differences can be justified.

Pay transparency

At Sourcegraph, Teammates are able to view all compensation bands used in our organization, including their own. We believe that full transparency of our compensation bands creates clear accountability for all compensation decisions, and ensures pay parity.

1. Navigate to: https://app.assemble.inc/

2. Log in using Google SSO

To find your pay band (two step process):

Step 1: Look up your job code in Bamboo

1. Login to Bamboo
2. Click “My Info” on the top of the page
3. Select the “Job” tab on your profile
4. Scroll down to the “Compensation” header
5. Find your Radford Job Code

• The last two digits of the code indicate your role and level
• Example: HR.GLBP.P1 - the “P” indicates that this person is an Individual Contributor and the “1” indicates a level 1
• Example: HR.GLBP.M3 - the “M” indicates that this person is Manager and the “3” indicates a level 3

Step 2: Use your job code to find your band in Assemble

1. Navigate to: https://app.assemble.inc/
2. Log in using Google SSO
3. Click “Foundations” on the left sidebar
4. Select your Department
5. Select your Career Ladder (this should match your job title)
6. Find your Title + Radford job code

• You’re also able to see other job codes/bands within your own career ladder on this page.

To find your team’s comp bands (Managers only)

1. Click “People” on the left navigation bar
2. Select “My Team” at the top of the page
3. Bands will be visible on this page

Assemble displays placement in band as “Below” “In Band” or “Above Band.” As a reminder, we expect Teammates to be within the band. Teammates new to the role will be at the entry point of the band.

Performance-based pay

We pay for performance in order to retain and motivate our talent to do their best work. We reward performance through merit increases and promotions. This means that Teammates who are considered top-performers (“exceeding high bar”) may move up the band faster than Teammates who are “meeting” or “not meeting” our high bar. You can read more about our performance ratings and corresponding raise % estimates in the “Ratings definitions” section of our Impact Review Handbook page.

FAQ

Q. Is pay data anonymous? Can I see exactly who makes what?

At this point, all pay data is anonymized. The only information you can see, outside of your personal compensation details, are pay bands for every department.

Q. What components of pay are transparent?

Compensation bands reflect cash pay, or cash + commission-based pay for commissionable Teammates. Equity is not reflected in Assemble.

Q. Who can see our compensation bands?

Full compensation visibility is for internal use only. During the Recruiting process, our Recruiting Team will share our transparent approach to compensation with candidates. Target compensation is also shared in all job descriptions.

Q. My pay is above the band - what does that mean for me?

We do not allow salaries to fall below our established pay entry points. We re-run compensation data every 6 months in alignment with our Impact Review Process and will right-size anyone who has fallen below the 75th percentile.

In rare instances, we allow salaries to exceed the tops of our bands. We strive to give meaningful merit and promotion-related increases, regardless of position in the band - this means individuals paid above their band can still receive increases. We may also utilize other options to reward performance.

Q. How often are bands updated?

We update bands once every six months, in tandem with our Impact Review process. In rare instances, we will update bands when an individual is hired from outside of Sourcegraph with a compensation package higher than the band entry point. We only do this if our Radford survey data suggest the market has significantly changed from when the band was set. When bands are updated, we provide immediate market adjustments to all Teammates so no one falls below the band entry point.

Generally speaking, revisiting bands every six months helps avoid market volatility and allows us to extend offers to external candidates consistent with internal pay.

Q. Where do I learn more about leveling at Sourcegraph?

We have a leveling system unique to Sourcegraph, which means a Level 3, for example, is NOT synonymous with a Level 3 at another company. For information about leveling at Sourcegraph, check out the Sourcegraph Leveling Guide.

For department specific career development frameworks, check out this handbook page.

Q. Where can I view my level?

You can view your job level in BambooHR. From the BambooHR homepage, click “My Info” on the top navigation bar. Select the Job tab and scroll down to the Compensation section. Here, you will find your Radford code.

• The last two digits of the code indicate your role and level

• Example: HR.GLBP.P1 - the “P” indicates that this person is an Individual Contributor and the “1” indicates a level 1

• Example: HR.GLBP.M3 - the “M” indicates that this person is Manager and the “3” indicates a level 3

Q. Where can I view other Teammates’s levels?

Just like you can’t see other Teammate’s specific pay, currently, you cannot view other Teammates’ job levels. We are constantly evaluating and expanding our pay transparency policy and this may change in the future.

Q. How do we address currency fluctuations?

Because we benchmark to US-based data and offer location-independent pay, we use currency conversations for international Teammates. The Sourcegraph Finance team is responsible for determining the currency conversion rate used when Teammates are paid in their local currency as opposed to US dollars. The currency conversion rate is applied to base salary and bonuses/commissions.

To determine a fair and reasonable currency conversion rate, and in order to ensure that all teammates are paid consistently, the Sourcegraph Finance team will review currency conversion rates on an annual basis, and the currency conversion rates that are determined at these intervals will be used for all pay adjustments, and all new hires, for the 12 months following this review.

To calculate the currency conversion rate, the Sourcegraph Finance team will take the trailing 12-month average.

Q. My pay appears to be below the band - what does that mean for me?

This is very rare, and the only time a Teammate’s salary may appear to fall below the band in Assemble is if their salary is calculated & fixed in a non-USD currency and the exchange rate has since fluctuated. This indicates that a Teammate’s local currency has dropped (as it relates to USD) since accepting their offer or promotion. At the time of acceptance, all offers are at the 75th % or above. We do not immediately rightsize compensation in these instances as we can’t control currency fluctuations.

Q. Inflation is currently high in the US, and other parts of the world. How is inflation taken into account?

By pulling market data and benchmarking our roles every 6 months, we move as the market moves. Our compensation data is updated quarterly, and we pull the data every 6 months, which keeps our compensation bands up to date with the market. This ensures we stay competitive, and continue to pay at the 75th percentile, in times of stability or market volatility and inflation.

Salary band and merit increases do not match the rate of inflation. Here is a good article explaining why inflation and salary increases are not the same.

Q. My level is M4 and I have a Director title. Another Teammate’s level is M5 with a Director title. Why is there a difference?

Our internal titles vary from team to team, so you may notice some job codes where levels may not match titles in this way. When we match our internal jobs to external salary survey data by focusing on core competencies, rather than title naming conventions.

Q. My level surprises me, or I’m not sure what my level is - who can I speak to?

Start with your manager if you have any questions about your compensation level or Radford code match. You can also reach out to your People Partner to discuss!

Q. If we hire externally into the entry point of our salary bands, why are some Teammates paid higher in band, or even above band?

Most individuals were hired into Sourcegraph at the 75th percentile of market at the time their offer was made. Using our pay for performance methodology, we offer several opportunities for Teammates to receive increases that reward and recognize their impact. Read about our merit increase philosophy here.

Q. How do I move up in my band?

We evaluate compensation regularly. We believe deeply in rewarding and recognizing impact. Strong performance at Sourcegraph will result in regular compensation increases. Teammates who are given an “exceeding high bar” rating in the Impact Review process are eligible for a merit increase every 6-months, and Teammates who “meet our high bar” are eligible every 12-months. Learn more about our impact reviews here.

Q: I’m at the entry point of the band, does that mean I’m underpaid?

No, our band entry points are set competitively at the 75th percentile of US salaries. Teammates have regular opportunities to receive pay increases through our impact review cycles and promotion. We hire all new Teammates into our band entry points - it’s how we’re able to hire and retain amazing talent!

**Q: My band seems off / I suspect an error. Who do I contact?

We are always happy to investigate. Reach out to ask-people-team or your People Partner!