Searching for unicorn program managers
How to build a team of badass Strategic Program Managers
My greatest challenge at Intercom was building my team. I failed the first try and learned some important lessons. I went on to build a strong strategic PgM function with a global team of 5 rockstars who I retained for 3+ years, promoted and who proved to be happy and engaged. Here’s what I learned.
Why it’s hard
Looking for Strategic Program Managers for high-growth tech companies can feel like you’re trying to find unicorns. It’s a broad role with somewhat contradictory skills:
They’re a leader and can influence without authority but don’t directly manage people.
They’re detail-oriented but think strategically, aligning programs with the company’s strategic goals.
They’re structured and organized but thrive on ambiguity and are comfortable with change.
Identifying what exactly you’re looking for can be a challenge. Then you need to find suitable candidates and hire them… but that can also be tricky. Here are some things you should avoid:
Hiring very process-oriented PgMs. Applicants with more traditional PgM experience often come from big corporates where it’s very rigid and structured - this approach will slow things down in a fast-paced environment.
Relying on inbound applications. Prepare to be bombarded with applications once you post a Program Manager role - anyone who’s ever managed a project thinks they’re qualified. It can be overwhelming and time-consuming.
Not setting real expectations about the role. Execution is core to PgM but strategic program management success is mostly about people - working well with leaders and execs with strong opinions and personalities. If your candidate doesn’t thrive in this environment then they’re in the wrong place.
The recipe for success
Putting in the time upfront to get super tight on what you’re looking for, being strategic about sourcing candidates and design your hiring loop to reflect real life will get you much better results, sooner.
1. Know what you’re looking for
The calibre of person you’re looking for is high with a broad set of skills. You’ll need to prioritize what you’re looking for. I look for 5 skills areas:
Execution. This is core to the role as PgM drive the execution of everything from new types of product launches to pricing and packaging programs. They have a proven track record of getting shit done and have a framework for doing it. They think about end-to-end execution and partner easily with cross-functional teams, setting the bar for execution. This might mean they have a project/program management background or maybe an agency background.
Problem-solving: They can make progress when faced with significant ambiguity and change. For example, the Head of Product want to ship a new product utilizing ChatGPT by end of summer but doesn’t yet know what the product is or how it will be positioned in market. The PgM needs to work with a cross-functional team to figure out the plan by identifying open questions and getting them resolved to get the product shipped on time. Knowing where to start and how to keep things making progress is a critical skill. This is skill you can test for in the interview round.
People & relationships: They will need to build trust and relationships with leaders and ICs in across the company, becoming a trusted leadership partner. They’ll bridge org structure and deal with complex people challenges, like bringing together strongly opposing views of senior people. They get decisions made with empathy and diplomacy. They have worked with leaders before and have executive presence.
Leadership: They can influence without authority to ensure programs and decisions get to the right outcomes. They’re comfortable working with leaders, having difficult high-stakes conversations, challenging and pushing back appropriately to get to the right outcome. For example, advocating for Sales leader contribution to a program winning strategy doc to ensure you’re building what you’re selling, and vice versa.
Business acumen: They think strategically about their work, joining the dots between strategy and execution. They have strong knowledge of how different parts of the business works, i.e. R&D, Marketing, Sales, or at least one of these areas. They care about the bigger picture and what the company is trying to achieve both long term and in the near future. This might mean they have a background in consulting.
Focus your recruiter and your hiring loop on these specific competencies.
2. Source great candidates
Inbound is broken. It can be successful but it’s time-consuming and with little reward. It feels like you’re looking for a needle in a haystack. How I’ve successfully sourced great candidates:
Look internally. At Intercom, our Customer Support team was a source of many strong PgMs and TPMs (Technical Program Managers).
Use your network. Referrals are always best. Tell your leaders and colleagues about the type of candidate you’re looking for, focusing on the skills. They might know strong performers from past roles who would make a great program manager. I’ve successfully hired Product Managers and Marketers.
Search LinkedIn. If you have a recruiter, work closely with them until you’re confident they’ve honed in your ideal candidate type. Give them examples of some companies that do PgM well to kick off their outreach.
3. Design your hiring loop to reflect real life
Design your hiring loop around the key skills and use it as an opportunity to really put people in the job. Some things that have worked well for me:
Your hiring team should be a mix of leaders and ICs and be the actual people they’ll work with.
Take-home tests should be based on a real, current scenario. For example, the team are planning a big product launch - ask the candidate to outline how they would approach it, stating any assumptions made. This will give you an insight into how they approach execution (rigid or flexible) and test their written communication.
‘Onsite’ working sessions give potential candidates the opportunity to work with the team. For example, workshopping out the milestones and risks for the big product launch. This gives them a true feel for the role, problems they’ll solve and people they’ll partner with. As well as giving you the opportunity to see how they work with a cross-functional team.
Real scenarios are much more powerful than hypotheticals. The hiring team can get behind it and it lets the candidate to dig deeper into the subject matter. Great candidates love the opportunity to get a true taste for the role and meet the team they could be working with.
Don’t forget to come back to the key skill areas when assessing candidates - that’s your benchmark for who you need on your team. It can be easy to get caught up in biases, for example, hiring someone who has great people skills but isn’t into the details.
Unicorns do exist
Strategic Program Management is a relatively new concept as applied to high-growth tech companies. Done well, it is a critical function for delivering on strategy. Hiring for it can be difficult as ‘program management’ has many different definitions and applications. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the volume of inbound and the lack of, what feels like, unicorn program managers. Focus on skills, not roles or eduction. Be patient and you’ll find them, they do exist.
Working with me
I’m available for coaching and consulting while looking for a full-time role. Please get in touch for more details.
Whenever you're ready, here’s how I can help you:
Coaching: I work with high performing tech leaders to unlock your potential.
Consulting: I work with leaders in tech to assess what’s preventing you and your company from successfully delivering on your strategy and partner with you on the solution.