Hiring the right engineer, especially for a leadership position, can be challenging. Companies must consider the top engineering leadership qualities when finding candidates, including technical knowledge, the ability to lead a team and make strategic decisions, and more.
Finding top engineering candidates doesn’t just mean looking for those with the most certifications or project experience—it also means searching for other attributes, including adaptability, creativity, and emotional intelligence. The last thing you want is an engineering leader who micromanages, so knowing whether your candidate will take ownership and feedback in stride is also incredibly important.
Whether hiring for a senior role or trying to spot future leaders in your current team, there are numerous top engineering leadership qualities to consider.
What Qualities Make a Good Engineering Leader?
What makes someone a good engineer and a good engineering leader? At Austin Nichols, we’ve found that it typically comes down to three things: mindset, soft skills, and the ability to see the bigger picture. Of course, engineers need technical know-how, but they should also inspire others, perform well under pressure, and think outside the box.
Let’s break down the top leadership qualities you should watch for when recruiting engineers.
Adaptability
A leader in any field needs to be adaptable, but especially in engineering. Engineering is constantly changing—new tools, evolving processes, shifting timelines. A good leader won’t fly off the handle when the plan changes; they’ll adapt.
So, when interviewing leadership candidates, try to see how well they can adapt to sudden changes. For example, ask questions about when they had to pivot during a project, or how they would handle unexpected changes or setbacks.
People who can embrace change, for better or worse, tend to lead teams with more creativity and better problem-solving skills. It’s also important to determine if your leading engineer can respond to change respectfully and mindfully without flying off the handle or taking things out on their team.
Commitment to Learning
The best engineering leaders are lifelong learners. Their education doesn’t stop when they leave school.
The workplace is changing. New technology means new solutions and problems that your team will need to overcome to stay relevant.
An example of this is the impact of AI on jobs like manufacturing or engineering. The rise of AI and automation in the workplace raises many questions and concerns. Will your leadership reject new technology and become obsolete down the road? Or will they take the opportunity to learn to use new tools, technology, and skills to help their field evolve?
Look for candidates who attend workshops, earn certifications, or even talk about books or courses they’re excited about. This shows a growth mindset, a willingness to grow and change with the industry. Those candidates are in it for the long haul.
Career Motivations
Not everyone wants to lead, and that’s okay. However, if you want to promote someone or hire them into a leadership position, they need to want to be a leader. More importantly, you need to know why they want to lead.
The best leaders in engineering are driven by more than just a better title or salary. They want to help others grow, tackle big-picture problems, and improve the industry from the inside out.
In interviews, ask:
- What draws them to a leadership role?
- What is their biggest goal as a leader?
- Where do they see their career going in the future?
If their answers are about empowering teams, improving outcomes, and growth, you’re probably onto something.
Soft Skills and Hard Skills
When you’re hiring, we all know that technical skills matter. They’re the thing that gets a resume on your desk in the first place. But here’s the thing: for leadership roles, they’re not enough.
A strong engineering leader needs to be able to blend hard skills (technical know-how) with soft skills. Soft skills are the non-technical qualities that determine how a leader will interact with others and approach a problem.
Here are a few big soft skills to look for in top engineering candidates.
Positive Attitude
Speaking of being respectful and mindful, nobody wants a terror for a boss. Let’s be real for a moment: engineering can be stressful. Things break, timelines shift, and clients change their minds.
Leaders who can maintain a positive attitude during times of stress are like gravity—they help keep everyone grounded.
You should look for someone with good energy and enthusiasm for the job who will treat your team respectfully. They should be friendly, someone who your team can trust to approach with issues or mistakes, but still firm enough to keep the team focused, calm, and solution-oriented.
Ask things like:
- How have they handled past conflicts in a team setting?
- What’s their strategy for getting their team through a tough project or dealing with a demanding client?
- How would they give feedback to team members if an issue arises?
- How much does team morale matter to them? How would they keep things positive?
While having a positive attitude all the time can be unrealistic, it’s still important to look for leaders who are willing to make an effort with this soft skill.
Delegation Skills
Delegation is the ability to hand tasks off to others. You may not think you want your leading engineer to pass their work off to other team members, but in fact, it’s a very important skill for a leader.
Think about it: if your team leader insisted on doing every minute task themselves, how much is actually going to get done? Will the rest of the team sit there all day, working on nothing?
A true leader will know that delegation isn’t about doing less; it’s about helping others do more. By handing things off to other team members, the leader is free to focus on higher-level responsibilities. Not to mention that by capitalizing on the skills, expertise, and creativity of the other engineers, the end results will be all the better for it.
Ask the following questions:
- Do they have an example of a project where they led a team? How did they divide up the work?
- Have they ever mentored a junior teammate or an intern? What was their approach?
- How comfortable are they trusting the work of others?
Creativity
Creativity in the workplace is underrated, particularly in leadership and especially in engineering. Engineering relies on innovation, and it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It comes from leaders who can see things differently and who aren’t afraid to try something new.
Creative leaders should think outside the box to find new solutions for their projects and for their team as a whole. In the interview, give them open-ended scenarios and try to see how they think.
For example:
- If their team kept missing deadlines, what would they change first?
- Ask about a time when they had to work with limited resources. How did they adapt to get the best results?
- What do they do when their team is stuck in a rut?
Problem-Solving Skills
If your leadership candidate can think creatively, chances are they’re a good problem-solver too. Every engineer needs the ability to solve unexpected problems, but unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to do so. Leaders must address problems at every level—the team, the process, and the project as a whole.
Problem-solving skills, such as strong decision-making, will allow a leader to address challenges, improve the team’s performance, and drive success.
Ask for examples of:
- Team issues they’ve helped resolve
- Strategic decisions they’ve contributed to
- Processes they’ve changed and why
Communication
In the end, it all comes down to communication. A leader might have great vision, sharp problem-solving skills, and a positive attitude, but none of that matters if they can’t clearly convey their ideas, expectations, or feedback to others.
Great communication ensures that everyone is on the same page. Clear instructions, priorities, and goals not only help avoid confusion and wasted effort but also build trust. Open, honest communication will create a culture where team members feel heard and respected and will help them better fulfill their responsibilities.
To find out whether or not an engineering leadership candidate has strong communication skills, ask questions like:
- How do they ensure the team is aligned on goals, roles, and expectations?
- What steps do they take to prevent miscommunication?
- What methods or tools do they use to keep their team informed and engaged?
Finding leadership potential in top engineering candidates means more than the resume. You have to find candidates who are willing to adapt, be creative and strategic, and do their best to improve their whole team. Hiring someone with these traits isn’t just filling a role; it’s investing in the future of your team.
Looking for engineering candidates with leadership potential? That’s where we come in.
At Austin Nichols, we connect top-tier engineering, construction, and manufacturing talent with leading employers across the Midwest. Let’s find your next engineering leader, together.
