The Complete Technical Hiring Framework

Hiring is the highest-leverage activity a CTO does. One great hire can transform a team. One bad hire can set you back months. Here's the complete framework I use to consistently hire exceptional engineers.

Phase 1: Define the Role

Before posting a job, get crystal clear on what you actually need.

The Role Definition Document

1. Role Context

• Why does this role exist?
• What problem does it solve?
• How does it fit into the broader team?

2. Success Metrics

• What does success look like in 3 months?
• What about 6 months?
• What about 12 months?

3. Required vs. Desired Skills

Required (must-haves):

• Core technical skills
• Communication ability
• Alignment with values

Desired (nice-to-haves):

• Domain expertise
• Specific framework knowledge
• Previous scale experience

The rule: Keep required skills minimal. You're hiring for potential, not a perfect match.

The Leveling Guide

Define clear expectations for each level:

Junior (0-2 years)

• Executes well-defined tasks
• Learns quickly, asks good questions
• Contributes to team culture
• Growing technical skills

Mid-level (2-5 years)

• Owns features end-to-end
• Makes good technical decisions
• Mentors junior engineers
• Reduces ambiguity

Senior (5-8 years)

• Owns systems and initiatives
• Sets technical direction
• Multiplies team effectiveness
• Handles high ambiguity

Staff+ (8+ years)

• Influences organizational direction
• Architects complex systems
• Grows other senior engineers
• Drives business impact through technology

Phase 2: Source Candidates

The best candidates aren't actively looking. Go find them.

Sourcing Channels

Active sourcing (best ROI):

• LinkedIn outreach (personalized messages)
• GitHub contributions (find people building great things)
• Conference speakers
• Open source maintainers
• Referrals from your network

Passive sourcing:

• Job boards (limited effectiveness)
• Recruiters (expensive but can work)
• University recruiting (for junior roles)

The Outreach Template

Hi [Name],

I came across your work on [specific project/contribution] and was impressed by [specific detail].

We're building [brief company/product description] and looking for [role] who can [key challenge].

Given your background in [relevant experience], I thought you might be interested or know someone who would be.

Would you be open to a brief chat?

[Your name]

Key principles:

• Personalize every message
• Show you did your homework
• Lead with interesting problem, not company perks
• Make it easy to respond

Phase 3: Screen Efficiently

Your time is precious. Filter effectively before investing deeply.

The Screening Process

Step 1: Resume Review (5 minutes)

Look for:

• Clear progression and growth
• Impact, not just responsibilities
• Technology alignment
• Red flags (frequent job hopping without reason)

Pass criteria: "Could this person plausibly do the job?"

Step 2: Phone Screen (30 minutes)

Structure:

• 5 min: Build rapport, explain role
• 15 min: Technical discussion (not a coding test)
• 5 min: Sell the opportunity
• 5 min: Logistics and questions

Questions to ask:

• "Walk me through your most impactful project"
• "Tell me about a technical decision you made and how it turned out"
• "What are you looking for in your next role?"
• "What questions do you have for me?"

What you're evaluating:

• Communication clarity
• Technical depth (on their own projects)
• Motivation alignment
• Basic culture fit

Decision: Yes/No to full interview loop (make it within 24 hours)

Phase 4: The Interview Loop

A well-designed interview loop evaluates all critical dimensions without redundancy.

Loop Structure (4-5 hours total)

Interview 1: Technical Depth (60 min)

• Focus: Can they actually code?
• Format: Live coding problem
• Evaluator: Senior engineer

Interview 2: System Design (60 min)

• Focus: Can they architect systems?
• Format: Whiteboard/discussion (mid+ level)
• Evaluator: Senior/Staff engineer

Interview 3: Cultural Fit (45 min)

• Focus: Values alignment and communication
• Format: Behavioral questions
• Evaluator: Hiring manager

Interview 4: Cross-functional Skills (45 min)

• Focus: Can they work with non-engineers?
• Format: Scenario discussion
• Evaluator: Product or peer from another team

Interview 5: Leadership (45 min - senior+ only)

• Focus: Can they lead and influence?
• Format: Past experience deep-dive
• Evaluator: Engineering leader

The Coding Interview (Details)

Problem selection criteria:

• Real-world relevant (not brain teasers)
• Multiple valid approaches
• Allows for follow-up complexity
• Can be solved in 30-40 minutes

What you're evaluating:

• Problem-solving approach
• Code quality and style
• Communication during coding
• Testing mindset
• Response to hints/feedback

Red flags:

• Can't explain their thinking
• Gives up quickly
• Ignores edge cases
• Writes untestable code

Green flags:

• Asks clarifying questions
• Thinks out loud
• Considers trade-offs
• Tests their code
• Accepts feedback gracefully

The System Design Interview

Problem examples:

• "Design a URL shortener"
• "Design a rate limiter"
• "Design a news feed"

Evaluation criteria:

• Requirements gathering
• High-level architecture
• Component design
• Scalability thinking
• Trade-off analysis

The 45-minute structure:

• 5 min: Requirements and constraints
• 10 min: High-level design
• 20 min: Deep dive on components
• 10 min: Scaling and edge cases

Behavioral Interview Questions

Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to evaluate.

Leadership:

• "Tell me about a time you had to influence without authority"
• "Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult technical decision"

Collaboration:

• "Tell me about a time you disagreed with a teammate"
• "Describe how you've worked with product managers"

Growth mindset:

• "Tell me about a time you failed"
• "Describe something new you learned recently"

Values alignment:

• [Customize based on your company values]

Phase 5: Decision Making

Make consistent, objective decisions using scorecards.

The Interview Scorecard

For each interview, rate candidates on:

Technical Skills (1-4 scale)

• 1: Significant concerns
• 2: Some concerns, likely No
• 3: No concerns, likely Yes
• 4: Strong Yes, exceeded expectations

Communication (1-4 scale) Problem-solving (1-4 scale) Cultural Fit (1-4 scale)

Overall recommendation:

• Strong Yes (would be excited to work with)
• Yes (would be happy to work with)
• No (has concerns)
• Strong No (would not hire)

Written feedback: Specific examples supporting your rating

The Debrief Meeting

Structure:

• Each interviewer shares rating before discussion
• Discuss discrepancies
• Hiring manager makes final call
• Document decision and reasoning

Decision criteria:

• No Strong No votes
• Majority Yes or Strong Yes
• No major red flags in any area
• Bar raiser agrees (someone who represents company standards)

The rule: When in doubt, pass. False positive (bad hire) is much more costly than false negative (missed good hire).

Phase 6: Closing the Candidate

You made an offer. Now convince them to accept.

The Offer Components

Compensation:

• Market-rate base salary
• Equity (explain the potential value)
• Benefits
• Bonuses/performance incentives

Use data: Know your market (use levels.fyi, Pave, Option Impact)

The role:

• Specific responsibilities
• Team composition
• Growth opportunities
• Impact potential

The opportunity:

• Company vision and traction
• Technical challenges
• Learning opportunities
• Culture and values

The Closing Process

1. Reference checks

• Call 2-3 references
• Ask about strengths and areas for growth
• Confirm nothing surprising

2. Make the offer

• Call first (don't email)
• Express genuine excitement
• Walk through the offer
• Send written offer within 2 hours

3. Address concerns

• Schedule follow-up calls
• Arrange team member conversations
• Answer all questions thoroughly
• Be transparent about challenges

4. Maintain momentum

• Set decision timeline (typically 3-5 days)
• Check in every 1-2 days
• Make yourself available

5. Handle negotiation

• Expect it (it's normal and healthy)
• Know your boundaries beforehand
• Be fair and consistent
• Move quickly on decisions

Common Hiring Mistakes

1. Hiring for Skills Over Potential

Mistake: Requiring 5 years experience in 3-year-old framework Fix: Hire for learning ability and fundamentals

2. Overselling the Role

Mistake: Painting unrealistic picture Fix: Be honest about challenges

3. Taking Too Long

Mistake: Losing great candidates to faster companies Fix: Complete loops within 1 week, offer within 2 days

4. Gut-Feel Decisions

Mistake: "I just have a good feeling" Fix: Use structured scorecards and criteria

5. Hiring in Your Image

Mistake: Only hiring people like you Fix: Diverse interview panels and explicit values

6. Lowering the Bar Under Pressure

Mistake: "We need someone now" Fix: A bad hire costs more than staying short-staffed

Tools and Templates

Interview Scorecard Template

Candidate: [Name]
Role: [Position]
Interviewer: [Your name]
Date: [Date]

Technical Skills: [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ]
Evidence:

Communication: [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ]
Evidence:

Problem-Solving: [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ]
Evidence:

Cultural Fit: [ 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 ]
Evidence:

Overall Recommendation: [ Strong No / No / Yes / Strong Yes ]

Written Summary:

Concerns/Risks:

Phone Screen Template

Pre-call research:
- Review resume/LinkedIn
- Check GitHub/portfolio
- Note 2-3 specific things to ask about

Opening (5 min):
- Introduce yourself and role
- Brief company/team overview
- Set expectations for call

Technical Discussion (15 min):
- Most impactful project
- Recent technical decision
- Technical challenge overcome

Selling (5 min):
- Exciting challenges we're working on
- Team culture
- Growth opportunities

Logistics (5 min):
- Timeline expectations
- Candidate questions
- Next steps

Post-call:
- [ ] Update scorecard
- [ ] Advance to loop OR send rejection
- [ ] Do within 24 hours

Metrics to Track

Hiring funnel:

• Applications → Phone screens (aim for 20-30%)
• Phone screens → On-sites (aim for 30-40%)
• On-sites → Offers (aim for 30-40%)
• Offers → Acceptances (aim for 70%+)

Quality metrics:

• 90-day retention (aim for 95%+)
• Performance review scores
• Manager satisfaction
• New hire time-to-productivity

Diversity metrics:

• Pipeline diversity
• Interview-to-offer conversion by demographic
• Retention by demographic

Final Thoughts

Hiring is a skill that improves with practice. Start with a solid framework, measure your results, and continuously refine.

The best hiring processes are:

• Respectful of candidate time
• Predictive of actual job performance
• Consistent across all candidates
• Efficient with your team's time
• Fair and unbiased

Remember: You're not just filling a role. You're adding someone who will shape your culture, influence your decisions, and determine your success.

Hire well.

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What's worked in your hiring process? What would you add to this framework?