Hiring Playbook: What to Look for in a Tech Lead

I’ve helped companies hire hundreds of tech leads. Here’s how the best in the industry approach getting the right fit.

By Joseph Burns, Founder and CEO of Lupa

For many companies, tech leads hold the future of the business in their hands. If they don’t know how to guide their developers and align strategically with your goals, you may be set up for failure. Here are a few things you should take into account before sending over that offer letter.

What Should A Tech Lead Be?

In the simplest terms, a tech lead is a mix between a very senior developer and a leader. They set the technical direction, design architecture, and select appropriate technologies while ensuring the project stays on track and adheres to the highest quality standards. Most of all, they play a critical role in acting as the bridge between the technical team and management—whether is the CEO, product, or finance—ensuring the project aligns with both technical and business objectives. Tech lead responsibilities generally are:

Overseeing the technical aspects of projects

This is not a task-oriented job in which you only have to mechanically code and develop software. Tech leads must have their eyes on every single technical aspect of the project they work on. This means running all the necessary tests, adhering to high-quality coding standards, and following the best practices.

Strategic planning

Tech leads must base their every move on business goals. They should develop and keep a technical roadmap of the project, plan and allocate resources effectively, and identify risks earlier than anyone.

Decision-making

Being a tech lead means holding the power to make tough decisions when problems arise, ensuring those choices are made for the right reasons. They understand the business context and work closely with product managers, enabling them to identify issues promptly and develop effective solutions without compromising quality.

Mentoring

With great power comes great responsibility, and for a tech lead, one key duty is supporting the development team, to keep them motivated and performing at their best. Encouraging skills development, career growth, and knowledge sharing helps the team improve and keep a positive dynamic, ultimately driving everyone toward success.

Collaborating with different teams and stakeholders

Tech leads constantly engage with various teams and stakeholders, translating business requirements into technical specifications. They work closely with product managers, other tech leads, and non-technical stakeholders to ensure everyone is aligned on project objectives and business goals.

What To Look For In A Tech Lead?

Based on my experience, here are the five key qualities to look for in a candidate applying for a tech lead role:

1. They are experts in their business

A great tech lead understands their industry inside and out. This means they stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and opportunities while having a close look at what competitors are doing. This is the only way for them to develop better and successful solutions for their company.

2. They are great communicators

Probably one of the most important skills a tech lead must possess. They often relate with non-technical people who are more business-oriented—like other teams and stakeholders. So explaining the technical side of their work in the simplest of terms is crucial to align everyone towards the same goals.

3. They solve problems under pressure

The tech world is filled with constant complications, and tech leads are often the first ones everyone looks at when problems come up. They must be prepared to make smart and quick decisions.

4. They are empathetic with their team

It's all about balancing the understanding of their team's workload with meeting deadlines and business requirements on time. Having emotional intelligence is part of the job. This is the only way to build trust and expect better performance from their team.

5. They have a good attitude and commitment

The attitude and commitment of a tech lead set the tone for the entire team. If a tech lead doesn't show interest or proactivity, it can create a negative culture. Instead, they should be the hardest-working person on the team, showing true leadership by example. Their commitment should inspire the rest of the team to follow suit.

Considerations Before Hiring a Tech Lead

Align the candidate's experience with your company's stage

Find a tech lead who has experience at the same stage as your company. Hiring someone from a large corporation might not be ideal for a small startup. While transitions are possible, it's key they have managed similar challenges. Building from scratch is different from optimizing an existing system. Ensure the candidate understands and can articulate these differences.

Call references

When hiring a tech lead, always call references. Don't just speak with their previous bosses—also talk to their peers and subordinates. It's important that the people who worked under them respect them as much as those they reported to. This comprehensive reference check helps verify the candidate is well-regarded at all levels.

Have someone from the same role interview them

Sometimes, a tech lead candidate can impress in interviews but doesn't have the necessary technical skills. Have your other tech lead or someone in a similar role—with good communication skills ideally—help you evaluate the candidate's hard skills. If you don't have an internal tech person, bring in a trusted CTO or tech lead from outside your company. This is crucial, especially for your first hire, as it sets the foundation for your company's success.

Ensure they match the stack or infrastructure you are working with

Your tech lead should be proficient with your main stack and the most complex or critical parts of your infrastructure. While they don't need to be experts in every technology you use, they should have deep knowledge and experience with the core elements. Aligning their expertise with your most important technologies ensures they can implement best practices effectively.

Align them with your tech team's long-term strategic goals

For this, you need to define clearly the size and scope of your tech team and the product you aim to build. Whether your product is highly technical or simple, make sure the candidate fits your vision and is ready to tackle the biggest challenges. You should avoid turnover in tech leads at all costs, especially if you are an early-stage company. It can result in a significant loss of critical knowledge.

Putting It All Together

Working closely with tech leads and developers in my experience at big tech companies, and taking the reins of my own hiring process, has made me even more careful about the tech professionals I bring into my team. Remember: There are many fishes in the sea, but just a few of them truly have what it takes to drive your business to the next level.

If you want to know more about how to hire a top tech lead in Latin America, grab some time with me here. I'd love to help. Also, you can have a look at our tech lead talent navigator.