Master hiring processes, interviewing, candidate assessment, and building strong engineering teams
Provides hiring frameworks, interview scorecards, and assessment templates for engineering managers. Uses these when creating job descriptions, evaluating candidates, or conducting structured interviews.
/plugin marketplace add pluginagentmarketplace/custom-plugin-engineering-manager/plugin install engineering-manager-assistant@pluginagentmarketplace-engineering-managerThis skill inherits all available tools. When active, it can use any tool Claude has access to.
assets/hiring_config.yamlreferences/HIRING_GUIDE.mdscripts/hiring_pipeline.pyProvide engineering managers with comprehensive hiring frameworks, interview templates, and assessment tools for building strong engineering teams.
Agent: hiring-performance-agent Relationship: This skill provides the hiring templates, scorecards, and evaluation frameworks that the agent uses.
# {Role Title} - {Team}
## About the Role
{2-3 sentences on impact and scope - what will they accomplish?}
## What You'll Do
- {Responsibility 1 - outcome focused, not task focused}
- {Responsibility 2 - include collaboration aspects}
- {Responsibility 3 - include growth opportunities}
- {Responsibility 4 - include impact on users/business}
## What We're Looking For
### Must Have
- {Years of experience or equivalent demonstrated ability}
- {Core technical skill 1}
- {Core technical skill 2}
- {Key soft skill}
### Nice to Have
- {Bonus technical skill}
- {Domain experience}
- {Leadership experience}
## Our Interview Process
1. **Recruiter Screen** (30 min) - Background and mutual fit
2. **Technical Screen** (60 min) - Coding and problem-solving
3. **System Design** (60 min) - Architecture thinking
4. **Team Fit** (45 min) - Collaboration and values
5. **Hiring Manager** (45 min) - Final discussion
Expected timeline: 2-3 weeks
## What We Offer
- {Compensation range if public}
- {Key benefits}
- {Growth opportunities}
- {Culture highlights}
interview_scorecard:
candidate: "{Name}"
role: "{Role}"
interviewer: "{Name}"
date: "{Date}"
interview_type: "{Technical | Design | Behavioral | Final}"
competencies:
technical_skills:
weight: 30%
score: null # 1-5
evidence: ""
strong_signals: []
concerns: []
problem_solving:
weight: 25%
score: null
evidence: ""
strong_signals: []
concerns: []
communication:
weight: 15%
score: null
evidence: ""
strong_signals: []
concerns: []
collaboration:
weight: 15%
score: null
evidence: ""
strong_signals: []
concerns: []
growth_mindset:
weight: 15%
score: null
evidence: ""
strong_signals: []
concerns: []
overall:
weighted_score: null
recommendation: null # Strong Hire | Hire | No Hire | Strong No Hire
summary: ""
next_steps: ""
scoring_guide:
5: "Exceptional - top 5% of candidates seen"
4: "Strong - clearly above bar"
3: "Meets bar - solid hire"
2: "Below bar - significant concerns"
1: "Far below bar - clear no hire"
star_framework:
situation:
prompt: "Tell me about a time when..."
look_for:
- "Specific, real example"
- "Clear context setting"
- "Relevant to competency"
task:
prompt: "What was your specific responsibility?"
look_for:
- "Personal ownership"
- "Clear scope understanding"
- "Appropriate level of challenge"
action:
prompt: "What steps did you take?"
look_for:
- "Specific actions (not 'we' but 'I')"
- "Logical approach"
- "Problem-solving demonstrated"
result:
prompt: "What was the outcome? What did you learn?"
look_for:
- "Measurable impact"
- "Self-reflection"
- "Learning demonstrated"
sample_questions:
problem_solving:
- "Tell me about a time you solved a problem with incomplete information"
- "Describe a situation where you had to make a difficult trade-off"
- "Tell me about a technical decision you later regretted"
collaboration:
- "Tell me about a time you had a conflict with a teammate"
- "Describe a situation where you had to influence without authority"
- "Tell me about receiving critical feedback"
leadership:
- "Tell me about a time you mentored someone"
- "Describe a situation where you drove a significant change"
- "Tell me about a time you had to make an unpopular decision"
hiring_metrics:
funnel_metrics:
applications_to_screen: "{X}%"
screen_to_interview: "{X}%"
interview_to_offer: "{X}%"
offer_to_accept: "{X}%"
time_metrics:
time_to_first_response: "{X} days"
time_to_offer: "{X} days"
time_to_hire: "{X} days"
quality_metrics:
new_hire_90_day_retention: "{X}%"
new_hire_performance_rating: "{X}/5"
hiring_manager_satisfaction: "{X}/5"
targets:
time_to_hire: "<45 days"
offer_acceptance: ">80%"
90_day_retention: ">95%"
diversity_pipeline: ">40%"
red_flags:
time_to_hire: ">60 days"
offer_acceptance: "<60%"
90_day_retention: "<85%"
Scorecard Complete
|
+-- Any Strong No Hire?
| +-- Yes -> No Hire (single strong no is veto)
| +-- No -> Continue
|
+-- Weighted score >= 3.0?
| +-- No -> No Hire
| +-- Yes -> Continue
|
+-- Any critical competency < 3?
| +-- Yes -> Discuss in debrief, likely No Hire
| +-- No -> Continue
|
+-- All interviewers Hire or Strong Hire?
| +-- Yes -> Make offer
| +-- No -> Debrief discussion, address concerns
Candidate requests higher comp
|
+-- Within approved range?
| +-- Yes -> Can approve, consider value
| +-- No -> Continue
|
+-- Top candidate for role?
| +-- Yes -> Escalate for exception
| +-- No -> Continue
|
+-- Can we offer other value?
| +-- Yes -> Negotiate (signing bonus, equity, title, start date)
| +-- No -> Explain our position, give time to decide
anti_patterns:
culture_fit_trap:
symptom: "Hiring people just like us"
remedy:
- "Define 'culture add' not 'culture fit'"
- "Diverse interview panels"
- "Structured evaluation criteria"
halo_effect:
symptom: "One great answer overshadows all else"
remedy:
- "Structured scorecards for each competency"
- "Multiple interviewers for same competency"
- "Calibration before debrief"
urgency_hire:
symptom: "We need someone NOW"
remedy:
- "Bad hire costs more than waiting"
- "Consider contractors for immediate needs"
- "Never lower the bar"
confirmation_bias:
symptom: "Looking for evidence to confirm first impression"
remedy:
- "Document evidence before scoring"
- "Score independently before debrief"
- "Assign devil's advocate in debrief"
1. Scores submitted independently (before meeting)
2. Go around - each interviewer shares (2 min each)
- Overall recommendation
- Key evidence (specific examples)
- Top concern
3. Discussion of disagreements
4. Hiring manager makes final call
5. Document decision and reasoning
red_flags:
technical:
- "Cannot explain their own code"
- "No questions about the codebase"
- "Blames others for past failures"
behavioral:
- "Uses 'we' exclusively (no personal ownership)"
- "No examples of learning from mistakes"
- "Dismissive of questions"
cultural:
- "Badmouths previous employers"
- "No interest in team dynamics"
- "Unwilling to receive feedback"
candidate_experience:
before:
- "Clear job description"
- "Fast initial response (<48h)"
- "Interview prep materials sent"
during:
- "Interviewers prepared and on time"
- "Candidate can ask questions"
- "Respectful, welcoming atmosphere"
after:
- "Timeline communicated"
- "Feedback provided (if rejected)"
- "Offer delivered promptly"
| Problem | Root Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Not enough candidates | Poor JD, wrong channels | Revise JD, expand sourcing |
| High drop-off after screen | Process too slow, poor experience | Speed up, improve communication |
| Offers declined | Comp, culture, opportunity | Exit survey, adjust offer |
| Bad hires | Weak interview process | Structured interviews, calibration |
input_validation:
role_level:
type: enum
values: [junior, mid, senior, staff, principal, manager, director]
required: true
urgency:
type: enum
values: [low, medium, high, critical]
default: medium
team_context:
type: object
properties:
size: { type: integer }
current_gaps: { type: array }
required: false
Books:
Tools:
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