KPFF Consulting Engineers’ Post

The hardest part of building a "good" tech company, is building a good engineering team. And you cannot build a good engineering team if you don't love the engineering yourself. That is why unlike every other business, most of the successful tech companies are founded by engineers instead of businessmen. Ultimately those engineering-founders turn into businessmen, but the core of the business surrounds heavily around engineers. They are the raw product of a good tech company. The company can have a vision, a plan, and goal to aim for, but if the raw material is not good, the end product is never going to be decent enough. #teambuilding #hiring #engineering #tech

Design systems are booming. The demand for top-tier design system engineers is increasing. From Series A start-ups to Fortune 500 companies worldwide, we are seeing an increased demand for: > Senior, Staff and Principal IC’s > Team Leads > Managers > Directors / Head of Engineering Design systems are becoming a top priority for many companies.

𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐎𝐮𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐀𝐫𝐭! 🎨 We watched an artist spend an entire day to create this masterpiece. Like any skill set, it took time, dedication and patience. Much like any of the many jobs that we perform within our day-to-day lives. Our careers are built over years of experience and applied skills. And while some of our processes are tried and true and distinct to the manufacturing industry, I am here for creativity to be an evolving and more influential part of what we do. In recruiting engineers, I know that creativity doesn't look like this on the plant floor. What it does look like though, is innovation and the ability to problem solve in a way that isn't always confined to the box. Creativity looks like designing a system that works within in a confined amount of space or welding together custom shop floor frames to hold other frames. Creativity looks like approaching a challenge with solutions that can often go unseen. So my question today- 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲? And why is that important to the future of work to you? #creativity #innovation #manufacturing #recruiting

Last month, we received a call from an engineering firm. They had posted a position online and after six months, still hadn't filled the role with a qualified individual.   So I met with the owner and one of his senior engineers who runs the department. The engineer had been with the company since he graduated from university over a decade ago.   In the same six-month time-frame they had the position posted, two of their engineers resigned and went to another engineering firm.   The owner chalked it up to natural attrition.    “That’s just what happens in the market,” they said.   My spidey senses were tingling.  I was suspicious.  It was time to get invasive.   I started to ask questions - there were some red flags.   When we got to the topic of compensation for this position, I suggested with all due respect, that the owner and I speak privately.    But he assured me his senior engineer could be part of this conversation and that he had nothing to hide.   Turns out he did have something to hide—they were paying their engineers 25-30% less than the market rate.    And I told them that.   That was the reason they couldn’t attract individuals to their company. That was the reason people were leaving the organization.   The owner didn’t like that I brought this up in front of his senior engineer.   He didn’t like that I’m a straight shooter and gave him the cold hard facts.   No one likes to hear that their baby is ugly.   The truth hurts.   As you can imagine, we didn't get that search from the client. But I still feel like we helped that company.   Moral of the story?   Pay employees what they're worth, or you'll pay the price of losing them—and that's a much larger cost.     As for that senior engineer? He’s now a candidate we're representing to our clients.

Transitioning from a Principal Engineer to either an Engineering Manager or Architect is a significant career milestone. This move involves embracing new responsibilities, expanding your influence, and focusing on either strategic leadership or deep technical expertise. Here's how to navigate this journey: 🔹 Broadening Leadership Skills: As a Principal Engineer, you've honed your technical expertise. To become an Engineering Manager, focus on developing your leadership and people management skills. Lead by example, mentor junior engineers, and cultivate a collaborative team environment. 🔹 Deepening Technical Strategy: For those moving towards an Architect role, it's essential to deepen your understanding of system architecture and strategic technical planning. Innovate and design scalable, efficient systems that align with long-term business goals. 🔹 Enhancing Cross-Functional Collaboration: Both paths require strong collaboration skills. For Engineering Managers, this means working closely with other departments to align engineering efforts with business objectives. For Architects, it involves coordinating with various technical teams to ensure cohesive and effective system designs. 🔹 Prioritizing Strategic Projects: As you step into these roles, prioritize projects that have a significant impact on the organization. Engineering Managers should focus on initiatives that drive team productivity and innovation. Architects should choose projects that enhance system performance and scalability. 🔹 Fostering Innovation and Best Practices: Encourage and implement best practices within your teams. Engineering Managers should drive process improvements and foster a culture of continuous learning. Architects should set technical standards and ensure adherence to best practices across the organization. 🔹 Balancing Technical and Managerial Responsibilities: While Engineering Managers lean towards people and project management, they should still maintain a strong technical foundation. Architects, while focusing on technical strategy, should also understand the business implications of their designs. Transitioning to Engineering Manager or Architect is about expanding your leadership, enhancing your strategic impact, and aligning your efforts with the broader goals of the organization. Embrace these challenges to propel your career forward! #CareerAdvancement #EngineeringLeadership #TechnicalStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth #TechCareers #EngineeringManager #Architect

Advancing from a Senior Engineer to a Principal Engineer is a significant career milestone, characterized by higher responsibilities, strategic thinking, and leadership at an organizational level. Here’s how to successfully navigate this transition: 🔹 Mastering Technical Depth: As a Senior Engineer, you already have deep technical expertise. To move forward, you need to further master your domain while also expanding your knowledge to cover multiple technical areas, allowing you to address complex and cross-functional challenges. 🔹 Leading and Mentoring: Transitioning to a Principal Engineer involves not just leading projects but also guiding teams. Mentor junior engineers, share your knowledge, and help elevate the overall technical proficiency of your team. 🔹 Strategic Vision: Develop a strong understanding of the business goals and strategic direction of your organization. Align your projects and initiatives with these goals, demonstrating how technical solutions can drive business success. 🔹 Driving Innovation: As a Principal Engineer, you are expected to pioneer new technologies and methodologies. Lead innovation within your team, and don't be afraid to experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible. 🔹 Enhancing Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with other departments to ensure that engineering efforts are in sync with overall company objectives. Improve communication channels and build strong relationships across teams. 🔹 Taking Ownership of Complex Projects: Own the most challenging and high-impact projects from inception to deployment. Show that you can handle ambiguity, drive projects to completion, and deliver exceptional results under tight timelines. 🔹 Developing Leadership Skills: Beyond technical prowess, hone your leadership skills. Manage and resolve conflicts, inspire your team, and build a collaborative and inclusive engineering culture. Transitioning to a Principal Engineer role is about deepening your technical expertise, leading with vision and innovation, enhancing cross-functional collaboration, and driving strategic initiatives. Embrace these elements to elevate your career and make a significant impact on your organization! #CareerAdvancement #EngineeringLeadership #ProfessionalGrowth #TechIndustry #PrincipalEngineer

Can an Engineering Manager who is 50% hands-on properly manage a team of Software Engineers as well? A conversation I had with an Engineering Lead I was pitching a position to, but he was not interested. He said with that much hands-on stuff in the role they would not be able to manage effectively. And not enough hours in the day. Even if the team of Engineers is quite Senior. But with most Engineering Leadership roles requiring a lot of hands-on work - surely this is not the case? And companies seem to think it is very doable based on the requirements for pretty much every Engineering Lead vacancy out there right now. #Ventellect #SoftwareEngineering #TechRecruitment

Ever wondered about the power of annual reviews? It's that time of the year, where we embark on self-reflection and growth!  Our annual review process is not just a form-filling ritual; it's a compass for self-evaluation and personal growth. We believe in mutual expectations, where employees and the company set the stage for success collaboratively.  A self-growth plan to align individual aspirations with organisational goals. As you gear up, remember: it's not just about meeting expectations but exceeding them! Let's embrace this opportunity for a 360-degree evaluation that fosters professional development and mutual understanding. Here are some glimpses of our People and Culture Head is guiding us on why annual reviews matter. Before filling out forms, we're learning the ins and outs.  It's all about growing together in NY Engineers. Join NY Engineers' culture of growth and collaboration by sharing your CV with subject line "0311 - Design Engineer" on [email protected] #companyculture #annualreview #WorkplaceWellness #360degreefeedback #EmployeeEngagement #performanceappraisal #plumbingdesign #electricaldesign #mechanicaldesignengineer #mepdesign

Are you managing an engineering team or product development effort right now? Companies big and small are facing challenges and outsourced engineering models offer solutions for getting products to market more efficiently, managing product costs, and improving product quality. Learn more about how our US-based engineers can help you meet your project needs in our video and blog! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗮 𝗙𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀: https://lnkd.in/giTftUY8 #Engineering #ProductDevelopment #ProductDesign #OutsourcedEngineering

I call 50/50 split between management and hands-on involvement a death zone. Something like 70/30 can work well: you're mostly focused on one activity type (be it management or individual contributions) and partially covering another activity. And there's a wiggle room to temporary dedicate more time for one of the areas without another suffering too much. Once it's 50/50, it becomes unsustainable once one of activities requires extra attention. There's a critical technical issue that occupies 100% of your time for a day? You will go back to a pile of managerial issues that will occupy you 100% for a few days instead. You spend a day dealing with management stuff? Now there are deadlines at risk with your hands-on obligations. For this to work for you as an engineering manager, you got to be very conscious what you can afford to commit to at any given period of time. Team is running smoothly → can take on more hands-on work for the next few weeks. Got to onboard new employees or push an organizational change → keep your hands off code except for a few limited things. Pick one chair and put your feet on another one instead of trying to sit on both.