Why building a strong culture of engineering is worth the effort
Apr 8, 2024
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Discussing the importance of a strong engineering culture for companies, focusing on attracting top talent, diversity, and empowerment. Insights from Lisa, Tech Lead, and Alicia, Engineering Manager, on shaping culture, fostering collaboration, and embracing change. Emphasizing the value of customer-centric cultures and building strong relationships.
Building a strong engineering culture impacts team morale and aids in attracting top talent.
Intentional hiring shapes organizational culture through values alignment and onboarding processes.
Employees actively influence culture by engaging in problem-solving and communication, fostering a sense of ownership.
Deep dives
Culture Shapes Decision-Making and Personality Interactions
Culture is described as the way individuals' personalities interact within an organization, influencing decisions made. An example given is how risk tolerance among team members can shape the organization's risk approach. The discussion emphasizes the importance of soft skills, office environment vibe, and the impact on decision-making across different departments.
Intentional Hiring for Cultural Fit and Influence on Culture
The podcast explores the significance of intentional hiring to shape an organization's culture. Hiring individuals who align with the company's values and culture contributes to a cohesive work environment. The conversation highlights how onboarding, values interviews, and organizational structures play a role in fostering a positive workplace culture.
Empowering Employees to Influence Culture and Drive Change
Employees are encouraged to actively shape and influence the company's culture, fostering a sense of ownership and empowerment. The discussion stresses the importance of employees pulling 'levers,' symbolizing the actions individuals can take to effect positive change within the organization. Examples include active communication, problem-solving, and adaptability.
Evolution from Embracing Chaos to Structured Adaptability
The evolution of the 'embrace the chaos' value towards structured adaptability is highlighted. Initially focused on flexibility and rapid adaptability in a dynamic environment, the value has shifted towards structured decision-making while maintaining agility. The podcast underlines the importance of maintaining a balance between adaptability and structured operations as the organization scales.
Customer-Centric Approach and Joy in Customer Feedback
The joy derived from direct customer feedback and interactions is emphasized, highlighting the company's customer-centric approach. Encouraging employees to engage directly with customers fosters a sense of purpose and quality-driven work. The feedback loop from customers energizes employees and drives continuous improvement in product development.
Positive Work Environment and Collaborative Dynamics
The positive work environment and collaborative dynamics among employees are regarded as key factors contributing to a sense of joy and motivation at work. The enthusiasm and teamwork displayed in problem-solving and project discussions create an engaging and productive atmosphere. The podcast underscores the significance of an enthusiastic and collaborative workplace culture in driving employee satisfaction and project success.
Whether you’re a seasoned company with 10+ years of operations, or a startup that’s just getting off the ground, making sure you have a good culture of engineering is really important.
Not only will this have a significant impact on the folks on your team, it’ll make a big difference with hiring.
When everyone knows that your company is the place to be when it comes to culture, attracting really good talent becomes that much easier.
But I was curious, what do some of the folks at incident.io think about engineering culture in general and how to best build it? Better yet, what about the engineering culture at incident.io? What’s it like?
To answer all of these questions and more, I sat down with Lisa Karlin Curtis, Tech Lead, and Alicia Collymore, Engineering Manager, to get their perspectives on this incredibly important topic.
We chat about what “culture” even means, why diversity is important, how teams can make sure their engineers feel empowered to share their perspectives and a whole lot more.
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