Finding Your Own Engineering Backfill
In the wise and wry world of strategic hiring, engineering leaders face the daunting task of finding their own mini-me — not in a creepy, cloning-lab way, but in a “I need to find someone who can replace me so I can climb up this corporate beanstalk” kind of way. Let’s unpack the suitcase of strategy, skill, and a little bit of swagger that every engineering leader should look for when making a hire that is essentially the corporate equivalent of tagging in a stunt double.
1. Vision: Seeing the Code in the Matrix
First and foremost, an engineering leader needs a successor who can not only see the current landscape but also the digital mountains on the horizon. Vision in technology isn’t just about keeping the servers running; it’s about anticipating the next big quake in the tech tectonic plates. Is your potential hire ready to pivot faster than a confused GPS? That’s your first clue.
2. Technical Chops: More Than Just a Buzzword Bingo Champ
In the valley of the geeks, everyone can talk a good game. Kubernetes, machine learning, blockchain — it’s all part of the tech lexicon. But when the rubber meets the road, or more accurately, when the code meets the compiler, can your candidate actually deliver? A strategic hire needs to be technically adept, not just at what’s hot today but with foundational skills that weather the storm of rapidly changing tech trends. They should be able to code, not just decode the latest industry jargon.
3. Leadership: From Managing Machines to Mentoring Minds
Ah, leadership — the art of managing both machines and egos. Your successor needs to be someone who can lead teams to victory, and not just in the quarterly hackathon. We’re talking about the ability to mentor, inspire, and perhaps most critically, delegate. They need to be able to build a team that builds the infrastructure. Think of them as a tech-savvy Dumbledore: wise enough to teach, powerful enough to inspire, and caring enough to understand that sometimes, even wizards need a day off.
4. Business Acumen: The Spock in the Boardroom
Leonard Nimoy brought us Spock, a character who could make decisions without getting his Vulcan heart tangled up in human emotions. Similarly, your strategic hire needs to exhibit a keen business acumen, capable of making logical decisions that benefit the bottom line and the broader business strategy. They need to speak dollars and sense — understanding not just how to code, but how to convert that code into cash.
5. Adaptability: The Tech Chameleon
The only constant in tech is change. Thus, adaptability is key. Your strategic hire should be comfortable pivoting between projects, visions, and even job titles. Today’s backend developer could be tomorrow’s AI specialist. Does your candidate have a history of adapting to new technologies and leading through change? If not, you might have a one-trick pony on your hands, and this rodeo moves fast.
6. Communication: The Rosetta Stone of Engineering
If your candidate can’t explain a complex dataset to a room full of marketers without causing a mass exodus to the nearest bar, that’s a problem. Effective communication is crucial. They must be the bridge between the tech team and the rest of the world, translating GeekSpeak into BusinessCasual without losing the original’s meaning.
7. Cultural Fit: One of the Gang, But Still the Boss
Lastly, but by no means leastly, is cultural fit. This doesn’t mean your next strategic hire needs to use the same brand of coffee creamer as you. Rather, they need to embody the core values and mission of the company while still being able to challenge the status quo without inciting a riot. They need to mesh well with the team, fostering an environment where innovation thrives and where it’s okay to fail — as long as every failure is a step towards success.
The Quest for the Corporate Crown
In conclusion, finding a strategic hire to backfill an engineering leadership position is less about finding a carbon copy of yourself and more about finding someone who complements and enhances the existing structures. They should be a visionary with their feet on the ground and their head in the cloud (computing, that is).
It’s a bit like assembling a high-tech, highly functional Avengers team — each member brings something unique to the table, but together, they are unstoppable. So, pick your superhero wisely; after all, they might just be the next leader in your tech saga.
Hi there, I’m Brian, and in addition to this Medium, I’m writing the proverbial (no surprise here) sequel to Talk Tech To Me. I take on the stress and strain of complex technology concepts and simplify them for the modern recruiter.
