Scaling a business is an exciting and challenging endeavour, especially when it comes to scaling engineering teams. To gain insights into the complexities of this process, we sat down with a seasoned Software Engineering leader who specialises in scaling engineering teams from an organisational perspective. In this interview, we delve into the key challenges faced by product-focused businesses as they expand their engineering teams alongside their organisations and products. We'll also explore practical solutions and expert advice on how to approach these challenges effectively.
Hiring the Right People
Challenge: How to evolve your hiring strategy as your company scales
Hiring the right talent is crucial at every stage of a company's growth. In the early startup phase, the emphasis is on hiring passionate generalists. However, as the organisation expands, the need for specialists becomes apparent. Failing to adjust your hiring strategy accordingly can result in turning away highly competent individuals who can drive growth and success.
Solution: Shift from tactical to strategic hiring
As your company grows, transition from evaluating candidates based on personality fit to assessing their competence, alignment with skill gaps and cultural alignment. Utilise roadmaps and organisational charts to identify skill deficiencies and shape your hiring strategy accordingly. It's not just about finding the "right people" anymore; it's about ensuring they possess the necessary skills, match skill gaps and contribute positively to the company culture.
Maintaining a Healthy and Positive Culture
Challenge: Sustaining the company culture as it evolves and expands
Maintaining a cohesive company culture is relatively straightforward when you're a small, close-knit team. However, as you grow, the responsibility of nurturing and preserving that culture shifts from a passive byproduct of working together to an active, conscious effort involving all leaders. The risk here is culture divergence and teams becoming too inward-focused.
Solution: Cultivate culture through influence and communication
To combat culture divergence, implement consistent and frequent messaging, identify and collaborate with influencers within the company and engage in planned group bonding activities. Use surveys, feedback, and data analysis to monitor cultural shifts and address concerns promptly. Keep an eye out for signs of cultural misalignment within teams or departments.
Exposing and Communicating Trade-offs
Challenge: Clarifying trade-offs and compromises as the organisation grows
Discussing trade-offs and compromises becomes more challenging as a company expands and hires specialists. Individual teams may feel disconnected from high-level decision-making, leading to confusion, misunderstandings and decreased morale. For engineering teams, the primary trade-off often centres around "technical debt."
Solution: Foster communication and transparency
Help teams understand that managing technical debt is not just an internal issue but an organisational one. Encourage teams to communicate the impact and risks of technical trade-offs and relate them to the company's vision. Leaders should make decision-making processes visible and provide information for teams to connect high-level trade-offs with their daily work.
Adding Process and Complexity Without Drowning Under It
Challenge: Balancing process complexity as the company grows
As a company scales, processes and communication lines become more complex. Attempting to oversimplify these aspects often leads to disorganisation and stagnation. Embracing complexity and effective communication is key.
Solution: Embrace complexity through clear communication
Leaders, at all levels, must navigate complex inter-team communication, product demands, design considerations and more. Their role is to distil this complexity into clear messages and directions for teams. Avoid leaving processes solely to individual teams or crisis-driven decisions, as this can lead to inconsistency and organisational debt. Customising off-the-shelf processes to align with your company's mission is essential.
Conclusion: Beyond the Challenges
Scaling engineering teams and organisations is a multifaceted journey that goes beyond the challenges discussed here. It also involves integrating or letting go of individuals who can't grow with the company, adapting cultural values to diverse groups, and addressing burnout and stress. As you embark on this journey, remember that success lies in your ability to adapt, communicate effectively and continuously evolve your organisational strategies. By addressing these challenges head-on and implementing the suggested solutions, you can navigate the complexities of scaling with confidence and achieve sustained growth and success.