Upwork Newswire: Three Traits to Look for in Your Next Engineering Hire

This biweekly column features the latest freelancing trends and Upwork’s role within them.

Medium | Three Traits I Look for in Software Hires That Have Never Failed Me

Through positions at both tech startups and giants, including eBay and Netflix, Upwork’s SVP of engineering, Han Yuan, has hired countless engineers. In a recent post on Medium, Yuan shared the three characteristics he’s learned to screen for.

Self-awareness

Yuan says it’s important that an engineer is able to recognize both their strengths and weaknesses. “Overconfidence can lead to production problems when team members optimistically underestimate timelines,” he said. “Underconfident employees may not work up to their potential.”

Evidence of deliberate practice

Knowing what they need to improve, Yuan looks for people who then take purposeful steps to learn. “Deliberate practice requires both time and tweaking: you’ve got to put in the hours, and you also need to constantly evaluate and adjust your practice to get better,” Yuan explained.

Grit

Yuan says he wraps up interviews with a test—one that’s “either impossible to complete in the time allotted or requiring the candidate to seek help.” It’s a test, he says, that simulates real work and the challenges that come up.

Learn more about these qualities and why they matter in Yuan’s full post >>

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