STEM Search Group’s Post

Don't hire Engineering Managers...Seriously... I once challenged a company on the need to hire an Engineering Manager They had no problem with delivery, culture, performance and most importantly, didn't plan to grow their teams in next 1 year. Ultimately, the role was put on hold. Don't hire Engineering Managers unless: Your goal is to... - help team find meaning in their work - create a culture of ownership and accountability - build a sustainable culture of continuous delivery - help engineers grow skills and their career And Senior Leadership truly believes in - Growth of engineers - Autonomy at all levels - Distributed Decision Making - Information Democracy Did I miss anything?

Engineers are often stereotyped as awkward and lacking social skills, but as an engineer myself, I know this simply isn't true. Some engineers can work a room, while others would rather focus on problem-solving. Both types of engineers bring unique value to a team. In fact, engineers who can communicate technical information to any audience are particularly valuable in customer-facing or external roles. On the other hand, engineers who excel at developing solutions and innovations are better suited for internal-facing roles like product development or process improvement. As an organization, are you setting your engineers up for success by placing them in roles that align with their strengths? Recognizing the diverse skill sets of your engineering team and leveraging them effectively can lead to greater success in any organization. #operationsmanagement #engineering #socialskills

Spent a lot of time this week talking with some excellent candidates who are passionate about the value "continuous improvement" principles are bringing to manufacturing. It’s a no brainer really, we are definitely seeing a shift in focus by more and more organizations, (large and small) to lead with their CI efforts. It’s a space in recruiting that I believe will continue to grow and one that I am happy to be able to support. I am convinced that in another life or somewhere in the multiverse I am in fact a Manufacturing Process Engineer #recruiterlife #recruitmenttrends #continuousimprovement

Genuinely recommend this organization. If it's "harder" for larger organizations to improve work by respecting humanity, Nestlé Purina North America sure doesn't show it. One of the few companies that I'd truly recommend for your own growth and joy at work. #continuousimprovement #engineering #respecthumanity #improvework #consciousleadership #cpg #manufacturingexcellence #openjobs

Fascinating post by The Pragmatic Engineer. How has the role of the Engineering Manager evolved, and what the future holds for EMs? In short, tech folks should not forget about hard skills as organizations "flatten" with less access to capital. The market is tougher for line manager EMs who don’t want to (or cannot) code or do other technical work. More managers return to ICs, or take a break.

Imagine being at a crossroads with a hiring manager deciding who should run a manufacturing facility. He ardently insists on a specialist, someone who can navigate intricate operations, handle necessary preventative maintenance, understand safety protocol to the last detail, and has a keen knack for optimization. My reply? A slightly different perspective. What if you had a versatile team instead? Picture an astute analyst or system in place for those optimizations, a safety maestro for those minute details, and a production manager supervising from a wider lens. Visualize a manufacturing facility manager whose expertise isn't confined to one industry, but one who comprehends how to deploy the equipment for diverse sectors. An individual who skillfully extracts different applications from similar products. Someone who isn't just focused on the present but takes a future-forward approach with career development and succession planning poised to bolster the strategic growth plan. Can you see it? The synergy of a dynamic team, a diversified leader, a flourishing facility?

#critique IT positions of all varieties aren't "trained". You're generally expected to be able to do the job before you are given it. This is one of the reasons there are uni degrees in various things, so that you can get positions with first having done them. Saying "they aren't trained" is just doublespeak to me. Being an engineering manager isn't more of less difficult imo than any other "engineering x". That is, all position types have some difficulty. Hearing such from someone who is currently performing that position and then giving this advice sounds obnoxious and arrogant. I'm quite sure that almost all engineers have been exposed to what engineering managers do as most have one they interact with. Most of the numbered points are alright, except for it being very opinionated. There are many managers who also step in to solve issues. I disagree that is purely management. "learn to say no" is so vague as to be meaningless. It's a garbage truism you can say about literally anything. Some managers are decision makers. I'd say all actually make decisions often. His own point 10 seems to contradict. If you are going to give advice about the position you hold, try to not do it like this example.

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A few weeks ago I mentioned that a career in Cybersecurity is a great path that is in high demand. I have another career option for those wanting to pivot out of engineering or even manufacturing. While scrolling through hundreds of LinkedIn profiles, I discovered that at least 50% of the professionals with a title related to Quality Manager, Quality Engineer, Director of Quality, Quality Assurance, or Quality Control should be retiring within the next 10-15 years. And that 50% is very conservative. It wouldn’t surprise me if that amount is closer to 70%. Quality management could be a great career choice for those who want to escape monotonous operations work and have a passion for measuring processes and variation. Some of the work can be standard and routine, but there are a lot of opportunities to participate and lead projects. Ultimately you can be a heavy contributor in value-added work that’s going to eliminate waste, improve processes, and measure standards. Plus the quality leaders that I have spoken to on the phone are exceptionally skilled about speaking to their accomplishments. It’s always a great conversation to learn from these folks. All of my connections that work in quality, what do you think? What’s the trajectory for working in this field?