[brink]

> We look for candidates’ ability to mentor and add value to technical discussions while understanding their own limitations, supporting a technical decision without acting as a decision-maker.

It's nice that they are keeping this in mind. I was a technical lead for a new product in the company at my last job and had a new engineering manager hired over me. I ultimately quit because he wouldn't let me do my job, insisting on making every technical decision, and that he knew better. Many of them were poor decisions. He was a mid-level engineer with a big ego in a manager's position, and was given the power to do whatever he wanted.

I've been working professionally as a software engineer for almost 10 years now. By far the worst experience I've ever had.

Making sure that an engineering manager knows their limitations is very important.

[jhayward]

My personal model for how to handle the relationship of tech manager vs lead developer (actually all developers) is that the manager should definitely supervise and understand the decisions made. If she has concerns about them, be straightforward with the team, saying "I like x,y,z about your plan but I am concerned about whether we are getting in trouble on A or B". Let the team work out the problem and respond.

If the manager ever feels they simply must over-rule a team lead, it is probably better to replace the lead than to impose a dictat as it indicates a problem working with that person.

When you start to hear the team discussing options and they raise all the concerns that you would have yourself without you saying anything you know they've heard you and are modeling your thinking. That puts the team miles ahead.

[trhway]

> supporting a technical decision without acting as a decision-maker.

manager is ultimately responsible for his team decisions (of course bad managers do try to scapegoat that responsibility down onto the team when the stuff hits the fan) and being responsible for the decisions can't be separated from making those decisions.

[jiveturkey]

you are stuck on the model of manager-as-boss. in order to create a true engineering ladder that is separate but equal to the management ladder, tech teams need to make the decisions. it is the tech lead (whatever rank he may be, let's say principal for sake of argument) that makes technical decisions.

the manager cannot override that.

unless of course, the manager is actually the boss. which invalidates the tech ladder, really.

don't confuse technical decisions (as GP stated) with management or product decisions. managers are not ultimately responsible for technical decisions in this model.

[trhway]

>you are stuck on the model of manager-as-boss. in order to create a true engineering ladder that is separate but equal to the management ladder

it will be equal only when the people on the technical ladder start to take hiring and firing decisions. Until that - the "parallel" ladder is just a pipe dream and the manager is the boss.

[jiveturkey]

hiring decisions are made by the team, not the "hiring manager". putting the responsibility of "tie breaking" votes onto the HM is a reasonable thing.

generally, employees fire themselves ...

But I mean, you're not wrong. In the environment you're thinking of, the "tech ladder" is a farce. Which is why the parent, as he said, left that company.

CircleCI has made the claim that they have a true tech ladder, and there's no reason to disbelieve them.

[wolco]

Hiring decisions made by the team are short sighted. They tend to hire people like themselves with similiar ideas. If you are looking for a balanced diverse team group think will not replace a hiring authority.

It is probably the best way to find someone likable by all. But bad for someone who might challenge ideas. Unless they find someone that has traits that everyone is in awe of but usually that only happens when there is a single person role with no other developers working in that layer or silo of the stack.

[mooreds]

> being responsible for the decisions can't be separated from making those decisions.

Disagree. This is the essence of delegation. You trust the person or team to decide the best path forward.

Do you think Tim Cook is responsible for the sum of decisions at Apple (yes)? Do you think he makes all the decisions(no)?

Good managers trust the team. If they don't, they'll repeat the team's work and ruin team morale and burn themselves out.