Ask HN: How are Engineering Managers evaluated?
So we all probably know how Software Engineers get evaluated (performance review): In companies that have a process for this, every 6 or 12 months you have to
- fill out self-assessment
- ask peers to fill out an assessment for you
- 1:1 with engineering manager to discuss your assessment(s)
- engineering manager discuss your sitation with "upper management"
- if lucky, you get a promotion/salary raise
In young companies that do not have such a process, you may get a promotion/salary raise in a more informal way.
My question is: what's the process for Engineering Managers to get promoted/salary raise? In my years of experience I have never "rated" or assessed an engineer manager (I have given feedback, but to them directly). Who's evaluating the eng. managers? Upper management? But based on what?
In all the companies I have worked for, the best ones are very transparent regarding promotion and salary ranges but for engineers only. When it comes to eng. managers, it's all very secret (they even have their own private Slack channels and all).
Usually a combination of the following:
- Delivering on business goals
- Hiring and retention
- Growing and promoting engineers
- Feedback from engineers
One big difference in determining performance for a manager versus an engineer is the length of the feedback cycle. A software developer can start getting feedback after a few code commits. A manager needs a few months at a minimum at most companies to assess progress towards goals, hiring, etc. Unfortunately this means a bad manager can wreak havoc and jump ship before upper management notices.
Have you ever seen a manager fired? I don't think anybody is evaluating their performance.