[Timberwolf]

Companies really struggle with this, and in both directions. Startups and scale-ups tend to overcompensate to the point management hires get interviewed as super-ICs, where they'll be expected to answer technical stages at (or even above) the company's top IC standard, but only get a couple of basic scenario questions about management that anybody could answer. Sometimes you get lucky and they're good at both, but it's a big source of the "management by yelling at people" and "I can't have a 1:1 with you, I'm fixing a production issue" schools prevalent in such environments.

It's rare to find a company balanced in the middle where they're looking for someone who clearly "gets it" and can talk about technical solutions, but also has the ability to solve the people problems. (Often good managers were also skilled ICs before they made the jump, but lack of everyday practical use leaves them with a layer of rust. In an hour interview with someone you've never met before it's hard to tell the difference between "rust" and "has heard of the concepts but doesn't really understand them" though)

[rhn_mk1]

What's IC?

[ownagefool]

Individual contributor.

Obviously there's a spectrum of management that an IC can undertaken, but this is typically based around their good will and soft powers, but the wider point is they're not supported to have direct reports.

[Timberwolf]

Sorry, jargon: Individual Contributor, meaning someone who works on things directly and doesn't do any management.