On Hiring

@dalexeenko|February 17, 2023 (3y ago)208 views

#Hiring

Hiring engineers can be challenging, but over the years, I've discovered several strategies that have proven effective. While I often refer folks to Yishan Wong's piece on hiring and Brie Wolfson's "An Hour on Early Stage Hiring", I decided to write down some of my personal insights that might be useful for others in the same boat.

#The Numbers Game

One consistent theme in engineering hiring is that it's a numbers game. Effort is key. You have to relentlessly put an effort in. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you might see little to no results. Then suddenly, you could have multiple engineers eager to join on the same day. Hiring is a long game, especially at very senior levels, where building relationships with people over months or even years can pay off.

#Filling the Funnel

Think of hiring as a funnel process. The goal is to fill the funnel with as many qualified candidates as possible and then efficiently move them through the hiring stages. Each step in this process is costly in terms of everyone's time, so it's important to prune candidates efficiently while retaining high-quality prospects. Speed and decisiveness are your key allies here.

#Continuous Selling

Never stop selling your company throughout the hiring process. Talented candidates will always have multiple options. You need to consistently highlight why they should choose your startup.

#Role Clarity

Clarity on open roles and levels can be immensely helpful. Create a prioritized list of the roles you need to fill and focus your recruiting efforts on these priorities. Of course it's fine to consider strong candidates who don’t fit these exact needs, however, having clear targets helps streamline the whole process. The fewer special types of roles you have, the simpler it is to manage and align everyone involved in the process. It can also be helpful to have a shared slack channel with key folks in your organization (e.g., senior managers and recruiters) to collectively be on top of almost all candidates.

#Time Investment and Accountability

Reflect on the percentage of time you're dedicating to hiring. Is it truly XX% of your time? Are you actively sourcing on LinkedIn, making sell calls, and following up with referrals? If not, are you focused on hiring?

Introduce accountability measures for hiring and sourcing within your organization. Track metrics throughout the entire funnel such as LinkedIn reach-outs, responses received, phone calls completed, and candidates brought to the interview loop on a weekly basis. Set ambitious sourcing targets for engineering managers, especially when the pipeline is dry.

#Sales Pitch

A polished sales pitch is crucial. Ensure you (and everyone who is engaged in hiring) have clear and compelling points on:

Mission
Big Picture Opportunity and Impact
Growth
Exciting Technical Challenges

These are usually the most important areas that get people excited. Of course, it's important to understand what motivates the particular candidate you are talking to and tailor the message to that.

Additionally, refine your email templates and job descriptions to make them more engaging and unique.

#Internal Mobility

Leverage internal mobility by regularly communicating open roles within your company. Some engineers might look internally for new opportunities before considering external ones.

#Tight Handoffs

Ensure a seamless handoff between recruiters, engineering managers, and individual engineers. Something that worked really well for me in the past was documenting a candidate's questions, concerns, and priorities, and sharing these notes with everyone involved in the hiring process. This makes candidates feel heard and helps your team prepare tailored responses, leading to much higher conversion rates.

#Closing

Closing a candidate is all about the experience you create and how you make them feel. Managers and organizational leaders should engage with candidates personally, sending emails or texts way before the official offer is extended. More ofteh than not the candidate won't be 100% happy (perhaps they wanted higher compensation or a different title or an initial scope), and that's where a personal touch can go a long way.

#Conclusion

Hiring engineers requires strategic planning, relentless push, and a personal touch. By treating it as a long game, filling the funnel with quality candidates, maintaining accountability, and ensuring seamless communication, you can build a phenomenal engineering team that will drive your company success.