As engineering managers, one of our most crucial responsibilities is building and maintaining high-performing teams. In this post, we’ll explore some key insights and strategies for effective hiring as a part of team building in the tech industry.

The Myth of the All-Star Team

Many of us dream of assembling a team full of tech leads, but the reality is that such a strategy is rarely feasible or even desirable, except perhaps in very small startups. The market simply doesn’t have enough of these high-level professionals to go around, and even if it did, there are compelling reasons to build a more diverse team.

Embracing Diversity in Experience and Skills

A truly effective team balances youth and experience, varied skill sets, and diverse backgrounds. While it’s tempting to hire only seasoned professionals, too much experience in one team can lead to conflicts and stagnation. On the flip hand, experienced team members often find fulfillment in mentoring younger colleagues.

It’s also crucial to avoid the pitfall of building a homogeneous team in terms of technical skills. A team of “all Java engineers,” for instance, might excel in their specific domain but struggle when faced with challenges that require a broader skill set, this makes them less able to respond to change, less Agile. Instead, aim for a mix of professionals who can work across different stacks, encouraging cross-pollination of ideas and skills within the team.

The T-Shaped Professional

“Overspecialization breeds weakness.” – Major Motoko Kusanagi

This philosophy applies perfectly to building tech teams. We should aim to cultivate and hire T-shaped professionals – individuals with deep expertise in one area (the vertical bar of the T) and a broad understanding of other related fields (the horizontal bar).

This approach not only creates a more adaptable team but also fosters an environment of continuous learning.

The biggest jump in my engineering knowledge was when I had to work with engineers that came from a different language background. It forced me to learn abstract language concepts to communicate effectively, which is a major step to becoming a polyglot.

Growing Your Own Talent

Sometimes, the best hire is the one you don’t make. As Ben Horowitz famously said, “When you can’t hire them, you need to grow them.” If you’re struggling to find the right external candidates, consider investing in developing your existing team members. Ask yourself: What would it take to turn your IC3 engineers into IC5s? This approach not only builds loyalty but can also be more cost-effective in the long run as hiring takes time and resources.

The Art of Headhunting

Never underestimate the power of your personal and professional networks when it comes to hiring. If you don’t have an extensive network, make one. Engage more actively on professional platforms like LinkedIn, get out into the community to conferences and meet people, leverage social media for hires.

Personal connections can significantly improve your hiring success rate. For instance, I maintain an almost 100% offer acceptance rate because I know most of my candidates through either my or my directs’ social networks. This allows for open conversations about expectations well before we reach the offer stage.

Common Hiring Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Overemphasis on Technical Skills: While technical prowess is important, it shouldn’t be the sole criterion. Remember, it’s often easier to teach technical skills than to change someone’s personality or cultural fit. We hare engineering manager’s not psychologists.
2. Rigid Skill Checklists: Instead of ticking boxes on a predefined list of skills, focus on understanding how a candidate can add unique value to your team. Some of my best hires have come from unexpected backgrounds, like Linux kernel experts or embedded systems specialists, simply because they were excellent engineers with the ability to adapt and learn. Embedded systems was an interesting one, you need to build in a lot of redundancy for things in remote location to have backups in the event of failure, its not unlike the web scale production systems we deal with.

The Crucial Probation Period

The probation period is your opportunity to evaluate a new hire in action. Use this time wisely:

• Set clear expectations from the start
• Create a structured onboarding plan with built-in evaluation points
• Don’t hesitate to make tough decisions if necessary

Remember, passing someone you’re unsure about can have long-lasting consequences.

What if you pass someone you aren’t sure on? What are the consequences?

If you have to let them go later its impactful, not only on them but the team. They start to form social bonds to members of the team, letting someone go is never a good experience, and what ever experience they have they’ll be sharing with all their friends on the team after they leave, letting someone go they don’t just disappear. It’s much easier on the staff and the team if this happens earlier.

Conclusion

Hire is a core part of building an effective engineering team, and is both an art and a science. By focusing on diversity, adaptability, and cultural fit, while avoiding common pitfalls, you can create a team that’s not just technically proficient, but also innovative, collaborative, and poised for long-term success.