Building high-performing tech teams from the ground up

Putting together a technical team from scratch isn’t quite as simple as setting up a few interviews and hiring the candidates that seem like they might be up to the job. Hasty decision-making often leads to unbalanced and misaligned teams, which is why research, planning and patience are all essential when developing a new branch of a business.

When the person responsible for constructing the team is new themselves, this introduces an array of potential stumbling blocks, as they will begin work on the project with a lack of understanding of organizational culture and the overall business structure.

To overcome these challenges, managers must ensure they take time to learn about the business, its objectives and what will be expected of their team. Once they are familiar with the core principles of their new company, team leaders can start to think about the personality types that will work well together and contribute to the team’s success.

Patience yields results

For tech leaders starting the recruitment process, it’s vital that they first understand the profile of the company and the employees it requires before sitting down to interview any candidates.

Research carried out last year found that 56 percent of senior decision-makers admit to rushing the hiring process, outlining how commonplace it is for businesses to fall into the trap of bringing staff on board without following stringent processes.

I spoke to Niloufar Zarin, Head of Machine Learning at Acorai, about this, and she said:

The team leader should begin by taking time to understand the company’s blueprint and size. If they have joined a startup they will likely have a smaller budget but more license for creativity, while at a large corporation they may have more cash at their disposal but be required to adhere to established procedures. If they’re at a growth stage company they may have scaling issues to consider.

Identifying the position of the business itself will inform choices around the size of the team needed, the salaries the organization can accommodate and the personality types that best align with objectives.

Having a good grasp of product strategy should also be a key consideration. Tech leaders should base the skillsets of employees on the business’ go-to-market strategy: for example if a product needs to be deployed quickly, experienced developers are essential.

Overall, managers should have a clear picture of what the team should look like before it is assembled, and build a recruitment plan that will best support the business’ goals.

Pick the right blend of personalities

As a leader you should know the personality types that function well together in a technical team, and this knowledge should have a major bearing on your thinking about whether certain candidates are the right fit for a role.

Zarin said:

It’s all about favoring the right personality types: tech leaders should look to hire people who are optimistic, motivated and will buy into the company’s vision. 

“One employee with a negative attitude can have a domino effect and lower the morale of the entire team. This often defines whether the wider team chooses to stay at the organization for a significant period of time, outlining how recruitment can directly affect employee retention.

The interview stage is where it’s easiest to pick out the candidates that are a good fit for the team you’re looking to build. Conducting interviews personally, in a relaxed one-to-one style, is the most effective way to gauge a candidate’s personality and pinpoint whether they will help drive the team’s success.

Understanding the aspirations of each team member is also important in the tech industry, where managerial roles bear little resemblance to life as a developer. From an early stage, team leaders should find out whether employees have managerial aspirations or want to stay as an individual contributor and base their development on this knowledge.

Avoid rushing the hiring process

Even if a team leader has taken the time to identify, interview and hire the ideal candidates, things can quickly go wrong at the onboarding stage if this is not properly planned out. Therefore, it’s important to establish a process that works for all employees before committing to hiring on a large scale.

Zarin said: "Onboarding should be a gradual process. Start by introducing one or two people then slowly increase the size of the intake -- don’t try to hire the entire team simultaneously. If the onboarding process is rushed it may mean there aren’t enough tasks to split between employees. Staggering the hiring of staff members gives tech leaders a chance to evaluate how much capacity the team has and whether extra bodies are required. If employees are left without work to get on with, morale will quickly drop. Managers should also make time to introduce new employees to fellow team members, as well as the wider organization. This will help them settle into their role, while giving them a clearer picture of the business’ culture."

Achieve rapid success

Hiring staff that fit in with the culture and values of the business is an essential first step for constructing a dynamic technical team. Identifying the personality types required is only possible if the team leader first gets up to speed with the company’s growth rate and upcoming objectives, and takes time to understand the experience levels of incumbent employees.

When the necessary research is conducted and the right blend of skill profiles are brought onboard, technical teams are far more likely to hit the ground running and deliver projects on time.

Photo Credit: REDPIXEL.PL/Shutterstock

Ronald Binkofski is CEO of STX Next, Europe's largest Python software house. With nearly 30 years of experience in executive positions at technology companies across Europe such as Microsoft and Honeywell, Ronald joined STX Next in January 2023.