Slides from my workshop at General Assembly. Being a good engineer does not prepare you for being a good manager. In fact, it isn’t just a promotion – it is almost a completely new job. By the end of the session, each participant will have the tools needed to begin their engineering management career. This workshop will cover at a high-level, most of the hard and soft aspects of managing an engineering team. We will help you navigate the HR landmines and help you properly hire and (if needed) fire employees. Learn how to motivate employees, delegate work, set proper goals and deliver successful software projects. Participants will work collaboratively via role playing situations and solving real world challenges. Takeaways Learn how to: Effectively communicate with other managers and teams in the company Structure for proper and effective employee one-on-one meetings Set goals and drive team direction Navigate managing previous peers Hire, fire, review and other HR requirements. (These slides were converted from Keynote, please excuse some formatting issues)

1. Christian McCarrick
CTO, iMatchative
MANAGING
ENGINEERING
TEAMS

2. OR - “THE CARE AND FEEDING
OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERS”
2

3. WELCOME TO
GENERAL
ASSEMBLY.
3INTRODUCTIONS

4. INTRODUCTIONS
HI I’M
CHRISTIAN
4

5. ‣ Currently lead Engineering & Product Management at iMatchative
‣ Founded 2 startups: Hosting.com & ParkingCarma
‣ Led teams from 1 - 60 people
‣ Worked at 4 companies that were acquired
‣ Focus on Enterprise SaaS technology and products
CHRISTIAN MCCARRICK
CTO, IMATCHATIVE
5

6. ‣ What is an Engineering Manager?
‣ Skills
‣ Managing - The HR Basics
‣ Hiring
‣ Firing
‣ Being a Good People Manager
‣ Being a Good Project Manager
‣ Strategies for Working with your Boss
‣ Student Scenarios
AGENDA
6

7. ‣ Understanding of the engineering manager role
‣ Structure for proper and effective one-on-one meetings
‣ How to set goals and team direction
‣ Hiring, firing, reviews and other HR requirements
KEY TAKEAWAYS
7

8. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
LET’S GET
STARTED
8

9. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
TOP REASON
EMPLOYEES
QUIT?
9

10. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
YOU!
10

11. A Gallup poll of more 1 million employed U.S.
workers concluded that the No. 1 reason people
quit their jobs is a bad boss or immediate
supervisor.
Managing an Engineering Team

12. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
WHAT MAKES A
GOOD
ENGINEERING
MANAGER?
12

13. WHAT MAKES A GOOD ENGINEERING
MANAGER
1. Amazing People Manager
2. Business-minded Strategist
3. Flawless Project Manager
4. Talented Technologist
List compiled by Kate Matsudaira (http://katemats.com)
13
MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

14. WHAT MAKES A GOOD ENGINEERING
MANAGER
14
BASICALLY BEING A
MODERN
RENAISSANCE
MAN/WOMAN

15. WHAT MAKES A GOOD ENGINEERING
MANAGER
1. Be a good coach.
2. Empower; don't micromanage.
3. Be interested in direct reports, success and well-being.
4. Don't be a sissy: Be productive and results-oriented.
5. Be a good communicator and listen to your team.
6. Help your employees with career development.
7. Have a clear vision and strategy for the team.
8. Have key technical skills so you can advise the team.
15
WHAT EMPLOYEE’S VALUED MOST
ACCORDING TO GOOGLE’S PROJECT
OXYGEN:

16. THE MOST
IMPORTANT PART
OF YOUR JOB IS
SETTING THE
TEAM UP FOR
SUCCESS.

17. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
HR BASICS
17

18. YOU MUST
PROMOTE A SAFE
WORKING
ENVIRONMENT

19. HR BASICS
1. You must enforce a zero tolerance policy on any disrespectful behavior. No Exceptions!
2. As a manager, the team will look to your example. Be a positive role model.
3. When in doubt about anything ask HR, Legal and/or your boss. Their job is to support you.
4. Treat anything your employees tell you as confidential. Do not lose their trust.
19
ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS

20. HR BASICS
1. Have difficult conversations as soon as possible. Waiting will only make a bad situation worse.
2. People will push and prod to discover your boundaries. Knowing when to stand back and when
to stand firm is half the battle.
3. Occasionally someone will push too far. When they do, you have to show a rough edge or you’ll
lose authority with your team.
4. It is ok to include your boss or HR in any difficult meetings.
5. Always document everything.
20
TIPS

21. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
HIRING
21

22. HR BASICS 22
YOU’RE THE ONE WHO MAKES
HIRING AND
FIRING DECISIONS. EVERYTHING
THAT
HAPPENS ON YOUR TEAM IS
YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

23. HIRING - RECRUITING 23
RECRUITING

24. “Culture is to recruiting as product is to marketing”
- Dharmesh Shah
Managing an Engineering Team

25. NUMBER ONE
SOURCE OF TOP
CANDIDATES IS
REFERRALS

26. HIRING - RECRUITING 26
1. Be an expert
a. Stack Overflow
b. Quora
2. Engineering Blog
3. Give Talks / Meetups
4. Hackathon
5. Open Source Tools, etc.
OUTBOUND
RECRUITING
INBOUND
RECRUITING1. Job Boards
a. LinkedIn
b. Careers 2.0
2. Recruiters
3. Cold Contacting

27. HIRING - RECRUITING 27

28. HIRING - RECRUITING
Required Skills:
• Proficient in Mac-based Photoshop, ImageReady/Fireworks, Illustrator and
Dreamweaver.
• Thorough understanding of the elements of good design, HTML production and
web process.
• Will be held accountable for the technical accuracy of their own work.
• Able to complete tasks independently and as part of a team.
• Possess effective communication of ideas/development of presentation skills.
• Ability to manage deadlines and production scheduling on numerous,
concurrent projects.
• Perform effectively in a demanding work environment and show resiliency to
stress.”
28
JOB POSTING - BAD

29. HIRING - RECRUITING
You
• Love seeing the world through someone else’s eyes and building an interface that fits their
mental model of the world.
• Are anxious to work on a variety of platforms and products (iPad, iPhone, Android, web
app, thick-client desktop, etc.)
• Can tell the story of a product or service with sharp copy and crisp imagery.
• Sketch out your ideas on paper before you dive into your prototyping tool of choice
(Photoshop, Illustrator, HTML & CSS)
• Know which details matter and how to push back and say “no.”
• Communicate your designs with developers and managers using the appropriate media
and fidelity.
• Think that copywriting is crucial to building a great UI.
• Can’t wait to see real people use your designs in usability studies — even if it makes you
grit your teeth.”
29
JOB POSTING - GOOD

30. HIRING - RECRUITING
1. First impressions count!
- Do not be late for a phone screen or interview
- Make sure to have someone properly greet people for an interview.
2. Use an application tracking system (like Greenhouse) or a Wiki to track candidates
3. Must respond extremely quickly - at every stage. < 24 hours.
4. Try informal meetings out of the office for initial meet and greets. Less pressure involved.
30
TIPS

31. HIRING - INTERVIEWING 31
INTERVIEWING

32. HIRING - INTERVIEWING 32
HIRE FOR CULTURE FIRST
ABILITY TO SOLVE PROBLEMS
SECOND
AND SPECIFIC SKILLS THIRD

33. 33

34. NO BRAIN
TEASERS!

35. HIRING - INTERVIEWING
- Make the candidate feel comfortable.
- Have an interview plan for each open position.
- Make sure different people do not ask the same questions.
- Do pair interviews.
- Have a dedicated laptop/computer hooked up to a monitor fully loaded with multiple developer
tools: Eclipse, PyCharm, Emacs, etc.
- Have the candidate work on real world problems.
35
TIPS

36. HIRING - INTERVIEWING
- Are you a US Citizen? - instead ask if they are legally allowed to work in the US
- What religion do you practice?
- How old are you?
- Do you have any children?
- Do you have any disabilities?
- Have you ever been arrested?
- Are you married?
- lots more.
36
THINGS YOU CAN NEVER ASK IN AN
INTERVIEW

37. HIRING - MAKING AN OFFER 37
MAKING AN OFFER

38. HIRING - MAKING AN OFFER
1. Do the work upfront - Have a compensation range (stock, equity, bonus, etc.) for the job
established when you write the job description
2. Don’t blow your budget to get a deal done and don’t skew the existing comp table
3. Be creative with title, work-from-home, perks, etc.
4. Have an offer ready with 24 hours if you decide to proceed (or have an offer ready before they
leave your office if you want to be aggressive. Always Call First!
5. Yes - References are mandatory. Get peers as well as supervisor
6. Have a document with all benefits, perks and compensation fully explained. (include stock
percentages, strike price, etc.)
38
TIPS

39. HIRING - MAKING AN OFFER
- Male candidates almost always tend to negotiate for their offer
- Female candidates are much less likely to negotiate
39
NOTE ON MALE VS. FEMALE
CANDIDATES

40. NO EXPLODING
OFFERS

41. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
BREAK
41

42. HIRING - ON-BOARDING 42
ON-BOARDING

43. HIRING - ON-BOARDING 43
Don’t let this happen!

44. HIRING - ON-BOARDING
- Include all needed confidentiality forms attached to the offer letter.
- Have all of their accounts ready to go before they start work (email, chat, wikki, git, etc.)
- Give them a reading list of things to prepare for before their first day
- Never have people start too early on their first day (10:00 works well)
- Make sure they can be productive from day one.
- Assign a “buddy” to the new employee for the first week.
- Pair-program for the first two weeks
44
ON-BOARDING STARTS THE SECOND
THEY SIGN THE OFFER

45. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
TERMINATION
(FIRING)
45

46. FIRING 46
CALIFORNIA IS AN AT WILL
EMPLOYMENT STATE BUT….

47. FIRING 47
ILLEGAL REASONS
. in harassment based on or discrimination against your “race, religious creed, color,
national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, marital
status, sex, age, or sexual orientation” [California Fair Employment & Housing Act; Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964]
. in retaliation for your blowing the whistle on illegal or improper conduct [California Labor
Code 1102.5; California Health & Safety Code 1278.5; etc.]
. in retaliation for your taking family medical leave [California Family Rights Act; U.S. Family
Medical Leave Act]
. in retaliation for your applying for workers’ compensation for a work-related injury
[California Labor Code 132a]
. in retaliation for your union activity or participating in union investigations [National Labor
Relations Act]
. for participating in an investigation for discrimination or harassment [California Fair
Employment & Housing Act; Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964]

48. FIRING 48
LEGAL ISSUES
- Please talk to your HR and or legal department prior to letting any employee go.
- Good documentation goes a long way in mitigating an wrongful termination suit.
- So does not being a jerk!

49. FIRING 49
REASONS
- There are three main types of termination:
- For cause
- Not for cause
- Layoff
- Each type has its own specific legal nuances.

50. FIRING 50
REMEDIATION
- Performance plans
- Give feedback early and often
- The employee should not be surprised unless it is for cause.
- Working at a startup is slightly different as there are much fewer resources available

51. FIRING 51
HOW TO DO IT
The direct manager should always be the one to tell the employee!
- A second person should also always be in the room (HR, Legal, your boss, etc.)
- HR should have all the legal paperwork required by law ready to go
- The employee is entitled to their last paycheck and any/all vacation bonus payments
- Severance pay is optional (consult with your legal and HR team for your specific policy)
- In most cases the employee should leave immediately after being told

52. FIRING 52
DON’T BE THIS GUY

53. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
PEOPLE
MANAGEMENT
53

54. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT 54
GOALS
HOW MANY PEOPLE
HERE KNOW THEIR
TOP GOALS FOR THE
NEXT 90 DAYS?

55. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT 55
GOALS
- Set both team and individual goals
- Make sure the goals are aligned with the company strategy / vision
- Make sure they are announced publicly (This makes people more accountable)
- Include professional development items as goals (attending workshops, meetups, etc.)

56. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT 56
ONE-ON-ONES

57. MOST
IMPORTANT
SECTION OF THE
WORKSHOP!

58. “Generally, people who think one-on-one
meetings are a bad idea have been victims of
poorly designed one-on-one meetings.” - Ben
Horowitz
Managing an Engineering Team

59. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT - ONE-ON-
ONES
59
SAME DAY AND TIME
ALWAYS DO IT
30 MINUTES AT LEAST

60. HOW ARE YOU
DOING?

61. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT - ONE-ON-
ONES
1. They are NOT a status update or project meeting. Use stand-ups and weekly emails for that.
2. Get personal (ask about hobbies, family, etc.)
3. Use this time to coach
4. Work on professional development items
5. Do an ad-hoc mini performance review
6. Always try to read between the lines and watch for reactions and moods
61
WHAT TO DO

62. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT - ONE-ON-
ONES
62

63. PEOPLE MANAGEMENT - ONE-ON-
ONES
63
⌚
FIRST PERSON: 10
MIN
SECOND PERSON:
10 MIN
1. Take turns being the employee and the
manager.
a. Person with the lower letter first
name goes first as manager
2. Perform a quick one-on-one with each
other. When you are the employee, use
real world examples from your company
STRUCTU
RE
TASK
PAIRS

64. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
BREAK
64

65. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
PROJECT
MANAGEMENT
65

66. PROJECT MANAGEMENT 66

67. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT LESSONS
‣ DO:
‣ Communicate the most important issues / tasks for your team
‣ Know what every engineer is working on
‣ Be the tiebreaker when teams can’t (or won’t) decide
‣ Remove yourself from being the bottleneck
‣ DON’T
‣ Don’t get bogged down in fixing bugs or coding new features
‣ Micromanage
67

68. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
BE A SH!T UMBRELLA FOR YOUR
TEAM
‣ Keep all distractions at bay
‣ Your job is to maximize the
time they stay in “the zone.”
68

69. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
COMMUNICATION
‣ Agile project management tools (JIRA, Pivotal, Trello, Asana)
‣ Internal wiki (Atlassian Confluence)
‣ Internal chat (HipChat, IRC)
‣ Email
‣ Daily Standups
‣ Weekly team meetings
69

70. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
‣ Ideas?
70

71. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
71

72. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION
72

73. PROJECT MANAGEMENT
EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION - WHAT
MATTERS
‣ Autonomy
‣ Mastery
‣ Purpose
73

74. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
HOW TO WORK
WITH YOUR
BOSS
74

75. HOW TO WORK WITH YOUR BOSS
- Over communicate. Your boss should never have to ask you status
- Require your team to give you brief weekly status updates
- use iDoneThis or 15five.com
- Give your boss weekly status updates
- Highlights from the current week and top todos for the next week
- Include any business KPIs that he/she is interested in. (every boss has their favorites)
- Be prepared to justify the ROI for all requested expenses (staff, software, etc.)
75
WHAT TO DO

76. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
REAL
SCENARIOS
76

77. REAL SCENARIOS 77

78. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS
RESOURCES
78

79. RESOURCES 79

80. RESOURCES
- http://popforms.com
- http://atlassian.com
- http://greenhouse.io
- http://leadingsnowflakes.com
- http://15five.com
- http://idonethis.com
- http://trello.com
- https://asana.com
- https://slack.com
80

81. MANAGING ENGINEERING TEAMS 81
- Engineering excellence.
- Bias towards action.
- Superior teaching skills.
- Passion and energy
- Commitment.
- Hiring prowess.
- Design and business vision