We now examine exactly how to find and then hire the best possible SEs for your organization. We will focus on SE-specific tips and techniques rather than suggesting how to run a generic interview. This chapter is intended to be read by the hiring SE manager.

As discussed in earlier chapters, the best SEs are schizophrenically talented in nature. The blend of technical knowledge, business acumen, and the capability to converse in complete sentences makes a unique hiring profile. The best candidate is usually someone who has done the job before, but they are in short supply. Any competent organization fights to retain people like that. So how do you ensure that the right person is hired? Mistakes are expensive both in terms of time and money. According to the Corporate Leadership Council it costs 176% of base salary to recruit and train an IT professional and 241% for a middle manager. An industry rule of thumb for an SE is one year's total compensation (base plus bonus and commissions).

Our advice is to treat hiring and recruitment just like a regular project: Know what you want to achieve and create a project plan with a scope of work. In this case, the scope is the job description and potentially...