The hardest part of hiring senior engineers isn't the interview — it's getting enough of the right people into the top of the funnel in the first place. Most early teams try to solve this with a job post and a prayer, then wonder why three weeks later the pipeline is empty.
Start with a sharp definition of the role. Before you source a single candidate, write down the three things this person must have done before, and the two things that would be nice but not required. Everything downstream gets easier when the bar is explicit.
Then go where the signal is. The best senior engineers are rarely applying; they're shipping. Look at who is contributing to the libraries you depend on, who is writing thoughtfully about the problems you're solving, and who worked at the companies whose engineering you admire.
Finally, treat outreach like product. A generic 'we're hiring' note gets ignored. A specific note that references their actual work gets replies. This is exactly the loop Olevy runs for embedded partners.
Hiring for a role like this?
Olevy sources, operates, and advises so you can hire faster — as an embedded extension of your team.
Book a Consultation