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Navigating Challenges: Being a Good Technical Lead, part 4

Kristijan Pušić June 12th, 2024

Hiring competencies for a Technical Lead are the fourth skill we will uncover in this article. In prior articles, we discussed the leadership, mentorship, and onboarding skills of a Technical Lead. Effective hiring impacts project success, team dynamics, and the overall future of the company. Quality hiring nourishes and refreshes company culture and builds a road to the future. Having a Technical Lead with good hiring skills is a must-have in the IT world.

Technical Leads are not wizards who have all skills fully developed. There is a need for mentoring Technical Leads and guiding them in the right direction. Each soft skill has its challenges, and the support of the HR department is crucial in this process.

Competence Matrix Levels for Hiring Skills of a Technical Lead

Hiring Level 1: Junior

  • Skill: Able to formulate candidate requirements based on current project needs and team objectives.
  • Challenges: Finds it hard to deviate from the plan. There are many requirements, and they are all seen as necessary.
  • Interviewing: Conducts scripted technical interviews with rarely varying content.
  • Feedback: Provides brief feedback consisting of a couple of sentences.

Hiring Level 2: Middle

  • Skill: Formulates candidate requirements based on project needs and team objectives, easily dividing them into must-haves and nice-to-haves.
  • Approach: Focuses on both strengths and weaknesses when reviewing candidate materials, and is ready for small deviations from the plan.
  • Interviewing: Creates a list of questions based on candidate materials and uses them during the interview.
  • Feedback: Gives detailed feedback with sufficient reasoning for decisions.

Hiring Level 3: Middle+

  • Skill: Formulates requirements based on project needs and team/manager plans, identifying strengths and weaknesses in candidates.
  • Flexibility: Ready to deviate from requirements for candidates with ‘superpowers’ needed by the project.
  • Interviewing: Formulates questions based on the candidate’s background and can adapt during the interview if new interesting information arises.
  • Feedback: Provides detailed, competency-based feedback with options for team benefit and professional growth plans if hired.

Hiring Level 4: Senior

  • Skill: Formulates requirements based on project, team, manager, and business needs, easily dividing them into must-haves and nice-to-haves.
  • Strategic Approach: Identifies strengths and weaknesses, ready to adjust requirements for candidates with exceptional skills.
  • Interviewing: Outlines interview plans and key topics instead of specific questions.
  • Feedback: Delivers detailed, competency-based feedback, estimates plans, and terms for achieving the desired level if shortcomings exist.

Hiring Level 5: Architect

  • Skill: Formulates requirements based on project, team, manager, and business needs, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and growth points.
  • Adaptive Approach: Reformulates requirements during the interview if the candidate fits a different role.
  • Interviewing: Outlines interview plans and key discussion topics.
  • Feedback: Provides detailed, competency-based feedback with options for restructuring processes or roles, plans, and timelines for achieving desired levels if necessary.

The Strategic Importance of Hiring Skills

Effective hiring is not just about filling vacancies. It’s a strategic initiative that shapes the future of the company. A Technical Lead who excels in hiring can foresee and align the skills and strengths of new hires with the long-term goals of the business. This strategic vision ensures that the team is not only equipped to handle current projects but is also prepared for future challenges and innovations. Such proactive hiring practices contribute to building a resilient, antifragile and forward-thinking organization that can adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. Continuous improvement in hiring skills for technical leads significantly impacts team efficiency, project success, and overall business growth. Business continuity lies in the hiring skills of HR departments and Technical Leads in an IT company.

FAQ

Why is it important for technical leads to develop hiring skills?

Effective hiring ensures the right fit for the project and team, impacting overall project success and team cohesion. Technical leads with strong hiring skills can identify the best candidates who will contribute positively to the team’s objectives and the company’s growth.
Technical leads can improve their hiring skills through continuous learning and practice. This includes staying updated on industry trends, understanding the specific needs of the project and business, and developing a structured yet flexible approach to interviewing and feedback.
Feedback is crucial in the hiring process, as it provides candidates with constructive insights into their performance and helps the technical lead make informed decisions. Detailed, competency-based feedback can also identify growth opportunities and set clear expectations for potential hires.

Chapters

  • Competence Matrix Levels for Hiring Skills of a Technical Lead
  • The Strategic Importance of Hiring Skills
  • FAQ

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