The 4 Components to Building Elite Tech Teams

We all want to build strong engineering teams. We want the smartest teammates so we can count on them – as Steve Jobs used to say:

It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do. We hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.

This wisdom highlights why hiring decisions are so critical. Hiring the wrong person can be costly in both monetary and non-monetary terms.

Besides the money spent to hire, onboard, and mentor, there are hidden costs associated with a bad hire such as team friction and loss of morale.

Today, I'm sharing the success ingredients that worked for us while building top software engineering teams at Supportful, starting from the job description up to candidate assessment.

Job Description

A job description is the first brand touchpoint for your future employees. As with many things in life, it's preferable to adopt the KISS principle: Keep It Simple, Stup*d.

Start by defining exactly the profile you need without adding all of the exact tasks the software engineer will be expected to complete or the soft skills they should have.

They all know they have to be problem solvers and critical thinkers - and every applicant for the job considers themselves as having both skills.

Focus on the exact role requirements and describe the company's culture in a nutshell.

Keep the tone professional and friendly, away from corporate jargon.

Finding Talent

Once your job description is ready, the next challenge is connecting with relevant candidates.

You can use the job description to create a job ad on LinkedIn or elsewhere (Welcome to the Jungle is a nice platform for small and mid-sized companies.)

However, some of the best software engineers are either not on LinkedIn or have no outstanding online presence.

To reach them, you have to approach talent acquisition with a headhunting mindset.

Unearth Stack Overflow and GitHub to find those rockstars that contribute to projects and help the community.

Another way of finding good talent is referrals. Your current software engineers could point you to other good engineers from their circle of friends or their larger network.

Candidate Assessment

After identifying potential candidates, the assessment phase begins.

The right person for the job might not be the most technically qualified. It could be a less knowledgeable engineer but with the right learning attitude.

I assess candidates in five different areas:

1. Technical knowledge: do they have the foundational knowledge of software engineering? Even if they are not an exact match in terms of tech stack, being technically sound is enough.
   
2. Communication skills: how do they articulate their ideas? Can they convey the message in simple sentences? For non-native English speakers, fluency in English is a must.
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3. Learning aptitude: how much did they learn in their previous roles? Are they open to learning new technologies and different ways of doing things?
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4. Knowledge production: do they produce knowledge and share it with the world in the form of technical articles or videos?
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5. Passion: do you feel they are passionate about solving problems or about the technology they are most proficient with?

The Hiring Process

People love it when things are simple and clear. The hiring process is not an exception.

Avoid the 8-step process that includes a take-home assignment which requires 12 hours of work.

Clarify the timeline to candidates and make sure to update applicants about the status of their application.

We've all been there and complained about being left in the dark when we were applying for a job. Do the exact opposite.

Takeaways

Building a top engineering team is an end-to-end process that involves attracting the right candidates, delighting them in the process, and hiring them.

To do so, remember the following:

• Use a compelling and genuine job description.
• Adopt a headhunting approach to find talent.
• Assess for both technical & cultural fit.
• Keep the hiring process simple.

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