Managing the Ultimate Employee: A Guide for Engineering Leaders

In his insightful post, The Ultimate Employee, Auren Hoffman describes a standout team member: someone who anticipates problems, takes initiative without waiting for instructions, and consistently delivers results. These individuals are rare and invaluable, often becoming the backbone of high-performing teams. I read his post and it really​ rang true for pretty much every top performer I have worked with. These top performers are worth their weight in gold.

Therefore, as an engineering leader, one of my responsibilities is to spot such ultimate employees, and then to empower them, so their reach gets amplified and the entire company benefits.

Here are some strategies I have used to effectively manage and support these exceptional team members:

1. Challenge Them with Ambiguity, Not Just Scope

Ultimate employees thrive in the grey. I try to put them on hairy, undefined problems where their ability to impose structure becomes a superpower. Putting them on "big" but well-defined projects usually leads to them getting bored fast.

2. Treat Them Like a Thought Partner, Not a Task Doer

I involve them early in strategic decisions. Bounce ideas off them. Ask, “What would you do if you were me?” Their buy-in becomes 10x when they feel like a co-architect. But also, because they are so good, I come away with perspectives I hadn’t thought about before. In fact it makes the end result much better.

3. Recognize & Amplify the Work. Loudly

These folks solve problems before others notice them. That means no one else might see the fire they put out before it started. I consider it my job to surface that work and give it the credit it deserves. I also try to amplify their work and ideas in forums they may not have easy access to. In a sense, I try to use their behavior and/or work as a means of setting the gold standard that others should aspire to.

4. Invest in Their Growth Before They Ask

Ultimately employees have options. They can always find a new team, a new organization or a new company. So by the time they ask for a stretch role or more scope, they’ve probably been ready for a while. So instead of waiting, I try to proactively create paths for them — or risk losing them to someone who will. This includes promoting them sooner than most other employees who might be at a similar level in terms of years of experience.

5. Watch for Burnout Masquerading as Momentum.

Ultimate employees also can burn out. In fact many times they burn out faster than others. My job as a manager is to spot their burnout sooner than they possibly can, and nip it in the bud. Why do top performers burn out? Many reasons, but one I have seen often is that proactive employees sometimes over-function to fill gaps others leave open. They also sometimes have issues saying no. So what do I do? I try not to reward unsustainable heroics. I also help them say no, and back them up when they do.

Thoughts and feedback welcome!