Technology Hiring, Coaching & Mentoring

Building AI-capable engineering teams requires fundamental changes to hiring practices, skill assessment, and career development approaches.

We help organisations navigate the complex challenge of building engineering teams that excel in AI-collaborative environments whilst maintaining strong fundamentals in software engineering principles. With 25 years of hands-on experience in both engineering and leadership, we bring proven methodologies for identifying, developing, and retaining engineers who thrive with AI tools whilst avoiding the skills degradation that affects many teams.

Our revolutionary approach to technical hiring, detailed in Hiring Engineers in 2025: Testing AI Collaboration, Not AI Avoidance, demonstrates how modern assessment techniques identify engineers who leverage AI effectively whilst maintaining critical thinking and engineering excellence. This systematic approach addresses the fundamental challenge many organisations face: distinguishing between engineers who use AI as a powerful tool and those who become dependent on it.

For engineering leaders concerned about career development in an AI-enhanced world, our framework in Mentoring Developers When AI Writes Half Their Code provides practical guidance for maintaining skill development and career progression when traditional learning paths are disrupted by AI assistance.

Core Areas of Support

AI-Collaborative Technical Assessment Design Developing innovative interview processes that evaluate candidates’ ability to leverage AI tools effectively whilst maintaining strong engineering fundamentals. Our methodology moves beyond traditional coding challenges to assess AI collaboration, critical thinking, and adaptive problem-solving capabilities.
AI-Era Competency Frameworks and Role Design Creating comprehensive role definitions that balance traditional engineering competencies with AI-collaborative skills, ensuring organisations hire engineers who enhance rather than depend on AI capabilities.
Strategic Talent Investment vs. Tool Cost Analysis Helping organisations understand the true economics of engineering talent in the AI era, moving beyond superficial cost comparisons to strategic investment in sustainable technical capability. Our economic analysis challenges the false economy of junior engineers plus AI tools versus experienced engineers with AI capabilities.
AI-Enhanced Onboarding and Team Integration Designing onboarding programmes that accelerate time-to-productivity whilst establishing best practices for AI collaboration, ensuring new hires contribute effectively in AI-enhanced development environments.
Engineering Career Development in the AI Era Providing targeted mentoring that addresses the unique challenges of skill development when AI assists with routine tasks, helping engineers maintain technical growth and career progression in rapidly evolving technology landscapes.
Technical Leadership Transition Coaching Supporting engineers moving into technical leadership roles with specific focus on leading AI-capable teams, establishing technical vision, and building influence without formal authority in AI-collaborative environments.

Ideal Clients

Organisations building AI-capable engineering teams whilst avoiding the skills degradation that affects many companies adopting AI tools superficially.
Companies requiring strategic guidance on talent investment in the AI era, including economic analysis of sustainable versus short-term hiring strategies.
Engineering teams needing proven methodologies for assessing and developing AI-collaborative capabilities whilst maintaining engineering excellence.
Individual engineers and technical leaders seeking career development guidance in rapidly evolving AI-enhanced technology environments.

Engagement Model

We offer hiring strategy workshops, mentoring retainers, interview process design, and one-on-one or group mentoring packages.

Our Commitment

We enable organisations to build sustainable engineering capabilities that leverage AI strategically whilst maintaining the technical excellence required for long-term success. Our approach ensures engineers and engineering leaders thrive in AI-enhanced environments through proven assessment methodologies, strategic talent investment, and targeted career development.

For deeper exploration of the challenges and opportunities in AI-era technical career development, our comprehensive analysis in Leading Without Authority: The Senior Engineer’s Paradox provides frameworks for building technical influence and career progression in complex technical environments.