Talent Acquisition Needs a Reboot

In previous discussions, we talked about how talent acquisition has veered too much toward data mining—resume parsing, keyword matching, and algorithms pretending to understand people. But talent acquisition, especially in a tech company, is not just about tracking systems and filtering candidates like a spam inbox.  

If you’re the Head of Talent Acquisition in a tech company, your job is not to be a glorified spreadsheet jockey. It’s not just about filling open roles—it’s about understanding the DNA of your company so deeply that you can build a team without breaking its cultural backbone.  

Hiring for a tech company is not the same as hiring for a retail chain or a consulting firm. A tech company might serve finance, healthcare, oil & gas, or entertainment, but at its core, it’s a tech company—which means the way you hire has to be different.  

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Step 1: Speak Engineer  

If you don’t understand how software is built, how do you know who to hire? A great Head of Talent Acquisition in a tech company should be able to sit with engineers and speak their language—not just “we use Python” but why they use Python.  

You should know:  

✅ What tools and frameworks they use (React, Angular, Spring Boot, Kubernetes)  

✅ What methodologies they follow (Agile, DevOps, CI/CD pipelines)  

✅ The real struggle of software estimation (have you ever read Peopleware? Because engineers have!)  

✅ What books define their craft  

How to Build Trust with Engineers  

- Attend engineering stand-ups or retrospectives occasionally. Listen more than you speak.  

- Ask about their challenges beyond code—process bottlenecks, tech debt, and what makes them tick.  

- Don’t push buzzword-heavy job descriptions; engineers see right through them. Instead, talk about real problems your company is solving.  

Required Reading for Hiring Engineers  

- Code Complete (Steve McConnell) – If you don’t understand why engineers write code the way they do, read this.

- The Pragmatic Programmer (Andrew Hunt, David Thomas) – Covers how great engineers think beyond just syntax.

- Clean Code (Robert C. Martin) – This is sacred text for writing readable, maintainable software. Read and repent for your past coding..err...hiring sins.

- *The Mythical Man-Month (Fred Brooks)* – Explains *why adding people to a late project makes it later.*

- Peopleware (Tom DeMarco, Timothy Lister) – Engineers aren’t just cogs in a machine. If you don’t get this, you don’t get engineering teams.  

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Step 2: Understand the Architects & Senior Engineers  

These are the people who:  

- Make decisions that affect long-term scalability.  

- Decide between microservices and monoliths.  

- Know why Kubernetes makes everyone’s life complicated—but necessary.  

How to Build Trust with Architects & Senior Engineers  

- Ask them what they wish recruiters understood about their job. Then, actually learn it.  

- Discuss not just technical skills but also how they evaluate problem-solving and leadership in potential hires.  

- Acknowledge that senior engineers don’t just write code—they mentor, strategize, and shape the company’s tech future.  

Required Reading for Hiring Architects & Senior Engineers  

- Design Patterns (GoF – Gamma, Helm, Johnson, Vlissides) – The foundation of software architecture.  

- The Art of Scalability (Abbot, Fisher) – How to scale an engineering org beyond 10 people.  

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Step 3: Talk to the Engineering Managers  

- How to build high-performing teams.  

- How to balance speed vs. quality.  

- Why Agile is both a methodology and an elaborate performance art piece.  

How to Build Trust with Engineering Managers  

- Understand that their main job is people, not code. Ask them how they retain top talent.  

- Ask about hiring mistakes they’ve seen and what they wish recruiters did differently.  

- Collaborate on defining soft skills like leadership and team dynamics.  

Required Reading for Hiring Engineering Managers  

- The Manager’s Path (Camille Fournier) – A must-read for engineering managers.  

- Accelerate (Nicole Forsgren, Jez Humble, Gene Kim) – The science of high-performing tech teams.  

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Step 4: Product Managers—The Glue Between Tech and Business  

Great PMs are not glorified project managers. They:  

- Understand user needs.  

- Translate business goals into product strategy.  

- Manage engineers without annoying them (a rare skill).  

How to Build Trust with Product Managers  

- Get them to explain how they interact with engineers and designers. Their hiring needs span multiple disciplines.  

- Understand that great PMs often have diverse backgrounds—don’t filter resumes just by job titles.  

- Align on what makes a PM successful at your company—vision, leadership, or market expertise?  

 Required Reading for Hiring Product Managers  

- Inspired (Marty Cagan) – The PM bible.  

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Step 5: Sales & Marketing—Bridging the Gap Between Product and Revenue  

Tech companies don’t survive on code alone. Someone has to sell the product.  

How to Build Trust with Sales & Marketing Leaders  

- Salespeople value results. Show them the data—how fast you fill roles, how hiring affects revenue.  

- Marketing cares about storytelling. Help them shape employer branding to attract top talent.  

- Don’t underestimate how competitive tech sales is—ask them what it takes to close deals in your industry.  

Required Reading for Hiring Sales & Marketing Teams  

- The Challenger Sale (Matthew Dixon, Brent Adamson) – Why solution selling beats traditional sales.  

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Step 6: HR & Culture—More Than Just Compliance  

HR is not just compliance—it’s the cultural glue.  

How to Build Trust with HR Leaders  

- HR and talent acquisition should be partners, not separate silos. Build a shared hiring philosophy.  

- Be transparent about hiring challenges—D&I goals, retention, and engagement metrics.  

- Help HR shape an authentic employer brand, not just buzzword-heavy slogans.  

Required Reading for Hiring HR & Culture Leaders  

- Work Rules! (Laszlo Bock) – How Google shaped its culture.  

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Step 7: Facilities Management & Workplace Experience  

Office setup affects productivity. If you’re hiring for facilities management, you should understand:  

- How physical spaces impact collaboration.  

- The role of ergonomics in preventing burnout.  

- Why an open office is not an innovation—it’s just noisy.  

How to Build Trust with Workplace Experience Teams  

- Talk about how space affects productivity—remote, hybrid, or in-office.  

- Understand what employees actually need—quiet spaces, better chairs, or more meeting rooms?  

- Partner with them to shape a workspace that attracts and retains talent.  

Required Reading for Hiring Workplace Experience & Facilities Management  

- The Best Place to Work (Ron Friedman) – The psychology of workplace design.  

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Step 8: UX Designers—The Architects of User Experience

Great UX designers don’t just make things look pretty. They:

-Advocate for the user’s needs, sometimes against business priorities.

-Balance aesthetics with functionality.

-Translate complex workflows into intuitive experiences.

How to Build Trust with UX Designers

-Understand that UX is not just UI. A sleek interface means nothing if the experience is frustrating.

-Talk to them about their design process—user research, wireframing, prototyping, and testing.

-Don’t reduce their work to “making things look good.” -Ask them how they measure success—usability, engagement, accessibility?

-Respect their tools—Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD—and their workflows.

Required Reading for Hiring UX Designers

-Don’t Make Me Think (Steve Krug) – The UX classic. If users have to think too hard, the design has failed.

-The Design of Everyday Things (Don Norman) – The psychology behind good design.

-Lean UX (Jeff Gothelf, Josh Seiden) – How UX fits into agile product teams.

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Final Thought: The Real Art of Talent Acquisition  

Hiring isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about shaping the very foundation of a company. And in a tech company, where innovation moves faster than job descriptions can keep up, talent acquisition isn’t just a function; it’s an art.  

A great Head of Talent Acquisition isn’t just someone who memorizes frameworks, reads industry reports, or builds pipelines. It’s someone who understands the DNA of the company so deeply that hiring becomes second nature—not because of checklists, but because they know how it all fits together in practice.  

This is what makes a great team possible. This is what creates connection, trust, and belonging. The right people in the right places don’t just make a company grow—they make it thrive. And that’s the real magic of talent acquisition.