Hiring tech talent as a non-tech person is super tough.
The lack of shared vocabulary and context often leads to surface-level discussions. Evaluation becomes even more difficult. You struggle to identify good talent, and the talent leaves you with a poor impression of your organization. Plus, let’s not forget the awkward interviews.
But honestly, you don't need to code to hire great developers. Plenty of successful tech companies were built by non-technical founders. And you can too.
Here's how:
1. Create a tech 101 knowledge base
Work with your tech leads to create a simple guide. This should be more than just a glossary of terms. And must be personalized to your hiring needs. Your non-tech staff can use this to prepare for interviews.
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Tech stack map - Outline the specific technologies your company uses. Include the tools and frameworks that are critical to your operations.For example:
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- Frontend: React.js, Vue.js, TypeScript
- Backend: Node.js, Python (Django), Go
- Database: PostgreSQL, MongoDB
- And so on.
- Tech roles map - Map out all kinds of tech roles your company needs, or hires for. List down what they do and how they contribute. For instance, what does a full-stack developer in your company do versus a data scientist?
- Skills matrix - Match the skills to this. For instance, what does a full-stack developer in your company need to know versus a data scientist? Be specific about the level of expertise required for each.
- Focused interview questions - Based on the skills and competency required per role, have 7-10 questions always ready for the tech roles you commonly hire for.
2. Let them shadow your tech team
Have your non-tech staff attend some developer meetings. They won't understand everything, but over time, they'll pick up key concepts and terms.
So, encourage them to jot down unfamiliar terms, tools mentioned, or processes discussed. This becomes a personal tech glossary they can refer back to. If time allows, encourage them too shadow different types of meetings - from daily stand-ups to sprint planning and retrospectives. Each offers unique insights into the developer's role.
This is a one-time investment, but the knowledge gathered can be invaluable during the hiring process.
3. Set up mock technical interviews
Set up mock interviews where your current developers pretend to be candidates. This lets your non-tech staff practice in a familiar environment.
Let the candidates know to intentionally perform well in some questions, and not so much in others. This lets the interviewer understand the range of good, average, and poor responses.
Conduct these mock interviews in short, 20-30 minute sessions to keep them focused and efficient. Based on the scale and scope of your hiring, decide how many mock interviews are needed.
Record these sessions (with permission) for review and learning purposes. Use insights from these mock interviews to continually refine your actual interview process and update your knowledge base.
4. Establish clear "red flag" and "green flag" guidelines
For every role, always have these two lists: red flags and green flags. Aim for 3-5 flags per list, per role. Not more than that. Make sure you loop in someone from the tech team with some hiring experience. Given their position, they can help you identify these flags way better than any blog out there.
Make sure these flags are observable behaviors, not technical assessments. For example, "explains past projects with enthusiasm" is more useful than "knows Python”, which would anyway be tested in the technical round.
Remember that these flags are guides, not strict rules. And a single red flag might not be a deal-breaker, but several should prompt further investigation.
Watch your tech hiring improve
Do these things, and you'll see changes. Your non-tech staff will ask better questions in interviews. They'll make smarter hiring choices. Candidates will have a better experience too. All in all, you will have better conversations.
It's not a magic solution, but it's a step toward smarter tech hiring.
