How do you grow the engineers on your team?

Summary

Know what skill each person is building this quarter and give them real work that exercises it — delegating outcomes rather than tasks, at an explicit level of autonomy, with checkpoints and pairing instead of taking the work back.

Longer Answer

Delegation isn't binary: match the level (tell, consult, agree, advise, delegate) to experience and risk. For a risky project, add checkpoints — design review, first PR, rollout plan — rather than keeping it yourself. Pair as navigator on the hardest parts. Accept different solutions that meet the outcome. Coordinate with the engineering manager so growth work feeds into career conversations and reviews.

Key Points

• Outcomes, not tasks
• Explicit autonomy level and checkpoints
• One growth skill per person per quarter

Deep dive: Mentoring and Delegation

What interviewers look for

Investment in others, structured delegation, and partnership with the manager.

Red flags

• 'I lead by example and they learn from my code'
• Delegating without context or support