The Contact Hierarchy helps categorise roles within an organisation into three distinct levels:
Each level is defined by the responsibilities and scope of the roles included, ensuring accurate and relevant search results for targeted outreach and decision-making.
Hierarchy Level 1: Employee Level (Individual Contributors)
Definition:
This level includes roles primarily focused on individual task execution within an organisation. Employees at this level are directly involved in operational activities and work under the guidance of middle or top management. These roles do not involve supervisory or managerial responsibilities.
Examples of Common Job Titles:
Analyst: Financial Analyst, Data Analyst
Specialist: Marketing Specialist, IT Specialist
Associate: Sales Associate, Research Associate
Coordinator: Project Coordinator, Event Coordinator
Engineer: Software Engineer, Mechanical Engineer
Developer: Web Developer, Application Developer
Technician: Laboratory Technician, IT Technician
Consultant: Business Consultant, HR Consultant
Assistant: Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant
Representative: Customer Service Representative, Sales Representative
Inclusion Examples:
Roles are included in this level if they reflect a specific function or expertise without suggesting leadership responsibilities. For example:
A "Marketing Specialist" focuses on executing marketing activities rather than managing a team.
A "Data Analyst" interprets and processes data without decision-making authority over others.
Exclusion Examples:
Roles that indicate supervision, management, or leadership are excluded. For instance:
A "Lead Engineer" or "Senior Developer" would not fall under this category due to their implied leadership responsibilities.
Hierarchy Level 2: Middle Management
Definition:
Middle Management roles involve supervising and guiding teams or departments. These professionals translate strategic goals from top management into actionable plans and oversee their execution. Individuals in these roles are responsible for specific functional areas and typically manage one or more layers of staff.
Examples of Common Job Titles:
Manager: Project Manager, Sales Manager
Supervisor: Production Supervisor, Customer Service Supervisor
Team Lead: Development Team Lead, Research Team Lead
Head: Head of Marketing, Head of Operations
Senior Coordinator: Senior Coordinator, Team Coordinator
Inclusion Examples:
Roles are included in Middle Management if they explicitly involve leadership or oversight. For instance:
Team Leadership: Titles like "Team Lead" or "Supervisor" reflect responsibility for directing a group of employees.
Project Management: A "Project Manager" oversees all stages of a project from planning to delivery.
Department Oversight: Titles such as "Head of Marketing" or "Department Manager" show responsibility for an entire department's performance.
Exclusion Examples:
Roles typically classified as individual contributors are excluded unless they explicitly include leadership responsibilities. For example:
A "Research Specialist" remains in Employee Level unless paired with terms like "Lead" or "Manager."
A "Technical Specialist" is excluded unless titled as "Technical Specialist – Department Head."
Hierarchy Level 3: Top Management
Definition:
Top Management represents the organisation's highest level of leadership. Individuals in these roles are responsible for overarching strategies, major decision-making, and guiding the organisation as a whole. These roles have a significant organisational impact.
Examples of Common Job Titles:
Director: Director of Operations, Finance Director
Vice President: Vice President of Sales, Vice President of Marketing
C-level Roles: CEO (Chief Executive Officer), CFO (Chief Financial Officer), CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
President: Company President, Chief Marketing Officer
Inclusion Examples:
Roles are classified under Top Management if they involve strategic leadership or decision-making responsibilities. For example:
A "Director of Operations" ensures the organisation’s strategic goals are implemented effectively across operations.
A "Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)" is responsible for the overall marketing strategy and its alignment with business objectives.
Exclusion Examples:
Roles that include support functions or lack strategic decision-making authority are excluded. For instance:
"Assistant to the CEO" is not included in Top Management as it focuses on support rather than leadership.
Titles such as "Senior Manager" or "Principal Engineer" remain in Middle Management unless explicitly tied to organisational leadership.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Contact Hierarchy important?
The hierarchy ensures your searches are precise, helping you identify the right individuals for targeted outreach, whether they are operational staff, department managers, or executive leaders.
How can I ensure my searches return accurate results?
Use the appropriate hierarchy filters based on your target roles.
Combine filters for department or region to further refine your results.
Include terms relevant to the role’s responsibilities, such as "Project Manager" or "Vice President."
What should I do if a contact isn’t appearing in my search?
This may occur if:
The job title lacks sufficient context for classification.
Filters applied are too restrictive.
To resolve this, try broadening your search criteria or using alternative terms.
Can I search for contacts across multiple languages?
Yes, the system supports multilingual searches and maps job titles across languages. For example, "Sales Director" corresponds to "Myyntijohtaja" (Finnish) or "Salgsdirektør" (Danish).
What improvements have been made recently?
Enhancements include:
Improved localisation for multilingual regions.
More accurate job title mapping across all hierarchy levels.
Streamlined filters to make your searches quicker and more effective.
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