Will Shopify's "Mastery" program destroy its own company?

Last February, Shopify unveiled a compensation policy called "Mastery,"

• It aims to recognize and reward employees who consistently try to improve their skills and dedication within Shopify.

While Mastery seems like an innocent reward system (meant to incentivize excellence and dedication), the way it's implemented has sparked concerns.

Here's the concerns:

• Employees are assigned a numerical score reflecting their "mastery" level.

• Only those whose scores increase during a review period are eligible for a raise.

• This essentially puts colleagues against each other in a competition for limited pay raises.

Shopify emphasizes that Mastery is meant to reward those who go above and beyond, yet some employees perceive it differently.

• They feel the system creates comparisons and hostility, where collaboration might suffer as individuals focus on their own score gains over teamwork.

Experts also warn that a competitive system could backfire in the long run. Consultancy CTOL Digital highlights the risk for less cooperation, a more tense work environment, and difficulties in attracting top talent, all from the pressure to outperform colleagues.

Note that Shopify offers employees the choice between two tracks: individual contributor ("crafters") or manager.

• However, the core issue remains, which is the focus on individual improvement over collective success