How “instructional engineers” improve developer onboarding at Splunk | Gail Carmichael (Splunk)
Mar 12, 2024
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Learn how instructional engineers at Splunk improve developer onboarding, measuring its success and impact. Gail Carmichael shares insights on the Engineering Enablement Team, components of a good onboarding program, and the importance of such programs. Discover the challenges and methods of measuring developer onboarding success, and the evolution of instructional engineering at Splunk.
Splunk's instructional engineers use a structured bootcamp to onboard developers with technical sessions and team-specific tracks.
Splunk measures developer onboarding success through metrics like time to first merge request and continuously adapts strategies.
Deep dives
Gail's Role as an Instructional Engineer at Splunk
Gail Carmichael, principal instructional engineer at Splunk, discusses her unique role focusing on improving developer onboarding through programs like the engineering bootcamp. The team at Splunk aims to provide a high-level overview of the company's products and technology during onboarding to build confidence in new hires within their first 90 days. The onboarding program includes technical sessions, tech talk programs, and events like grand hackathons to engage and empower engineers, emphasizing a balance between general support and specific team needs.
The Importance of Technical Backgrounds in the Engineering Enablement Team
The engineering enablement and engagement team at Splunk consists of members with technical backgrounds aiming to create impactful learning and knowledge sharing experiences. Gail highlights the significance of team members having engineering or computer science backgrounds, as they collectively understand engineers' needs and can effectively facilitate learning and knowledge transfer within the organization.
Strategies for Effective Onboarding and Engagement Programs at Splunk
Splunk's approach to onboarding involves a structured engineering bootcamp that introduces new hires to the company's product ecosystem, technical history, and software development processes. The program includes live sessions to enhance engagement and provide a cohesive understanding of the company's diverse products and services. Additionally, initiatives like the buddy program and team-specific tracks contribute to a comprehensive onboarding experience, aimed at fostering confidence and productivity among new engineering hires.
Measuring the Impact of Developer Onboarding at Splunk
Splunk explores different levels of measuring the impact of learning programs, including feedback surveys, learning assessments, and business impact analyses. By incorporating metrics like time to first merge request (MR) or pull request (PR), Splunk aims to gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of their onboarding initiatives. While challenges exist in correlating onboarding experiences to long-term retention or business outcomes, Splunk focuses on continuous improvement and adapting measurement strategies to enhance developer productivity and engagement.
This week we’re joined by Gail Carmichael, Principal Instructional Engineer at Splunk. At Splunk, Gail’s team is responsible for improving developer onboarding, which they do through a multi-day learning program. Here, Gail shares how this program works and how they measure developer onboarding. The conversation also covers what instructional engineers are generally, and how Gail demonstrates the impact of her team’s work.
Discussion points:
(1:16) The Engineering Enablement & Engagement Team at Splunk
(8:01) What an Instructional Engineer is
(14:36) The developer onboarding program at Splunk
(16:05) Components of a good onboarding program
(21:11) Why having an onboarding program matters
(28:17) Measuring onboarding at Shopify (Gail’s previous company)