Hiring the right product-focused engineer means balancing technical expertise with clear communication. Morgan Spencer’s 7-point T-C-R-I-S-T framework helps hiring managers achieve up to 90% role fit by assessing both hard and soft skills through measurable, real-world methods.
Key Takeaways:
- Technical strength must pair with collaboration, clarity, and user empathy.
- Using a structured framework ensures consistent, bias-free assessment.
- Communication quality directly affects delivery speed and team efficiency.
- Data-led evaluation methods reduce QA tickets and improve sprint outcomes.
- The T-C-R-I-S-T framework provides a repeatable process for future hires.
Why technical and communication balance defines engineer success
Hiring managers often discover too late that great coders can struggle to work collaboratively. In the product engineering space, communication gaps are responsible for an estimated 25% of project delays (Morgan Spencer Client Data, 2024). The most successful product-focused engineers don’t just build well, they align with teams, clients, and business goals.
A common mistake we see is testing technical proficiency without measuring how candidates explain their decisions. A technically excellent engineer who can’t clarify trade-offs or listen to feedback may slow delivery and increase rework costs. Balancing these skill sets ensures engineers fit into both the team dynamic and product strategy.
What to assess when hiring product-focused engineers
The best product engineers demonstrate both depth and adaptability. Their technical ability builds scalable products, while their communication keeps projects aligned and efficient.
Technical abilities to assess:
- Coding or design expertise - Evaluate through practical tasks that mirror your real projects.
- Problem-solving approach - Present a realistic scenario and observe their logic under time pressure.
- Systems understanding - Check how they link component performance to broader product outcomes.
- Tool and tech stack fluency - Confirm comfort with essential development and testing tools.
Communication and collaboration strengths:
- Clarity of thought - Look for concise explanations of decisions and alternatives, as discussed in our blog on the top five soft skills in recruitment.
- Listening and adaptability - See how they respond when challenged by cross-functional teams.
- User empathy - Strong engineers balance precision with usability, cutting an average of 8 hours per sprint in post-release fixes.
- Team engagement - Identify willingness to collaborate on shared challenges, not just isolated tasks.
Step-by-step: A structured framework to assess both engineer skill sets
To make the hiring process measurable and repeatable, Morgan Spencer uses the T-C-R-I-S-T Method: Technical, Collaboration, Reviewers, Intensity, Scoring, Tracking. This framework blends quantitative assessment with behavioural evaluation, helping employers consistently identify top performers.
- Technical - Define your core skill benchmarks before interviews start.
- Collaboration - Include group exercises or peer sessions to observe teamwork.
- Reviewers - Involve product or design peers in assessments for wider perspective.
- Intensity - Keep tests challenging enough to reveal authentic capability.
- Scoring - Apply a weighted scale for both technical and communication results.
- Tracking - Document patterns between candidate traits and post-hire performance.
- Reflection - Gather feedback from interviewers to refine your next hiring round.
This structured process helps maintain fairness and predict long-term fit while reducing hiring bias.
What interview questions reveal both technical and soft skill alignment
Good interview questions go beyond code, they expose how engineers think, prioritise, and communicate under pressure.
Examples that deliver strong insight:
- “Tell me about a project where communication affected the final delivery outcome.”
- “How do you explain a complex technical decision to a non-engineer stakeholder?”
- “What’s your approach when priorities between design and engineering conflict?”
- “Describe how you improved collaboration on your last cross-functional project.”
- “How do you ensure your technical solutions align with business or product goals?”
In a recent FinTech placement, candidates scoring 8/10 on ‘Clarity of Explanation’ reduced QA tickets by 30% in the first quarter. Questions like these reveal similar traits early in the hiring process.
How to apply the T-C-R-I-S-T framework in real interviews
Hiring managers often focus heavily on technical tests, overlooking communication nuances. Combining both assessments provides a clearer, data-backed view of fit.
- Plan your metrics early - Decide what good looks like across both dimensions.
- Set dual-stage interviews - Run a technical task followed by a communication discussion.
- Invite cross-functional reviewers - Include product or operations staff to observe collaboration.
- Score immediately - Record observations while the conversation is fresh.
- Compare candidates consistently - Rank by balanced technical and communication criteria.
Track onboarding outcomes - Review how interview performance translates to job success.
This consistency enables you to refine your hiring pipeline and predict future high performers.
How to assess technical vs communication skills in product engineers
By following a data-led approach, you can evaluate both skill sets in context and build a balanced team that performs.
Outcome: You’ll identify engineers who deliver excellent work while enhancing collaboration and delivery speed.
- Define your benchmarks - Align technical expectations with communication competencies.
- Design realistic tasks - Mirror actual product conditions and team interaction.
- Rate both skill areas - Use balanced scoring to prevent overemphasis on coding.
- Observe team simulation - See how they interact with colleagues during problem-solving.
- Reflect collectively - Share findings among all interviewers before deciding.
- Document insights - Build a data record for continuous improvement.
FAQs
Q: What’s the best way to measure technical ability in engineers?
A: The best way to measure technical ability in engineers is through scenario-based coding or product challenges that replicate your actual workflow rather than generic tests.
Q: How can I test communication skills in engineers?
A: To test communication skills in engineers, include cross-department role plays and collaborative exercises. These reveal how candidates explain concepts and respond to real feedback.
Q: Why is communication so critical in product engineering roles?
A: Communication in product engineering roles reduces misalignment and project rework. Clear interaction between technical and non-technical teams prevents unnecessary sprint delays.
Q: What framework works best for balancing both skill sets?
A: The most effective method is the Morgan Spencer T-C-R-I-S-T framework, which scores Technical, Collaboration, Reviewers, Intensity, Scoring, and Tracking to create consistent hiring outcomes.
Q: How can structured interviews reduce hiring risk?
A: Structured interviews reduce hiring risk by applying consistent criteria, ensuring each candidate is assessed fairly across both technical performance and communication behaviour.
Speak to a specialist today
Ready to hire engineers who combine technical mastery with strong communication? Contact Morgan Spencer today to discuss how our T-C-R-I-S-T framework can refine your next hire.