S1 - Episode #15: George Good - CTO - Healios
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About George
George Good is the CTO at Healios, a leading digital healthcare services company based in London. He has over two decades of experience in the technology industry and has explored different programming languages, tech stacks, and roles. George also serves as the Software Engineering Team Leader at Board Intelligence, a product-based company that helps transform how board reports are read, written and managed.
Synopsis:
In this episode of The Technology Leadership Podcast, George talks about remote hiring and collaboration. We discuss the importance of devising innovative ways of conducting interviews that focus on assessing a candidate’s problem-solving skills and creativity above specific knowledge (eg syntactic). He also talks about the essential skills engineers need, including the importance of effective communication, the different routes an engineer can take as they progress through their career and how to become a highly sought-after engineer in the competitive world of tech. Tune in for greater insight into the various current and future challenges in technology and why AI and ML would likely augment most business processes as we advance.
Key Takeaways:
Understand why communication is key to growth in any role in the tech space, especially since with the proliferation of online working methods.
Hear about the different paths you can take as an engineer: leadership and management, development, mentoring and others.
Learn about how ‘blame culture’ could be detrimental to your company’s growth and how to handle it well - stay composed, find out ways to solve problems when they arise and learn how to move forward.
Discover how the hiring process at Healios is managed - how they built their team, process innovations and the current format,
Get views on the need to be open when conducting interviews and how to assess a candidate’s problem-solving and creative thinking abilities.
Learn about the importance of test-driven development and how to find candidates with that skills.
Understand how to build an effective remote team - communicating and listening to employee concerns, staying connected and effective management techniques.
Episode Outline:
[00:31] Meet George Good, CTO at Healios
[01:45] Why George decided to take the leadership route in his career
[04:18] The most significant challenges for a CTO at a start-up right now
[08:57] The processes Healios have introduced to bridge the gap between its tech and non-tech teams
[13:31] The “Healios’ Way” and company ethos
[21:22] Top tips from George to build a successful remote team
[25:39] Healios’ process of remote recruitment
[24:06] Why problem-solving is the core of engineering and why you shouldn’t limit people during interviews
[30:47] What George looks for in an Engineer
[35:36] George’s advice for people who feel they are plateauing in their career and how they can hone their skills to become quality engineers
[39:31] After years of experience, George’s approach to solving problems
[42:28] Why George wishes to hire a diverse range of developers
[45:09] How to assess and train candidates with Bootcamp or relevant university experience
[39:55] Discussion of the work and relevance of Healios in today’s world
[51:45] The importance of a personal approach in understanding and being there for your employees
[55:50] Becoming successful in a non-tech focused business
[58:36] The biggest challenges to technology in the next few years according to George
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