Moore's Law of Hiring

"Agile is simple, it just isn't easy." 1

Ron Jefferies

Moore's Law of Hiring, an adaptation of Moore's Law, suggests that the demand for highly skilled professionals, such as Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters, grows exponentially, while the supply of qualified talent lags far behind. This results in a significant talent gap, forcing organizations to either delay hiring or settle for sub-par candidates.

For Agile organizations, hiring underqualified Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters can have severe consequences. These roles are critical in driving Agile transformation, fostering collaboration, and ensuring teams function efficiently. When organizations compromise on hiring standards, Agile maturity stagnates, leading to poor execution, resistance to change, and ultimately, business failure.

Impact on Agile Organizations

  1. Erosion of Agile Principles:
    • Inexperienced Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches may fail to instill Agile values, leading to process inefficiencies and pseudo-Agile implementations.
  2. Low-Performing Agile Teams:
    • Poor facilitation, lack of servant leadership, and weak conflict resolution skills result in ineffective Scrum events and disengaged teams.
  3. Increased Resistance to Agile Transformation:
    • Without strong guidance, teams and leadership may reject Agile practices, reverting to traditional ways of working.
  4. Higher Turnover of Agile Talent:
    • Experienced Agile professionals may leave organizations where ineffective leadership and poor Agile implementation create frustration.
  5. Compromised Product Delivery:
    • Poor backlog refinement, ineffective sprint planning, and weak coaching reduce a team's ability to deliver value continuously.

Scenario

A large enterprise embarks on an Agile transformation, hiring multiple Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches to support teams. However, due to Moore's Law of Hiring, the company struggles to find highly qualified candidates and settles for individuals with limited Agile experience.

Challenges:
  • Scrum Masters act more as administrators than facilitators, failing to remove impediments.
  • Agile Coaches lack the depth to mentor leadership, leading to command-and-control behaviors persisting.
  • Teams feel disconnected from Agile principles, engaging in ceremonies without true adoption of Agile mindsets.
  • Leadership perceives Agile as ineffective, leading to disillusionment and potential rollback of Agile practices.
Outcomes:

Instead of driving transformation, poor hiring choices lead to an organization-wide Agile failure, causing frustration, wasted investments, and a loss of credibility in Agile methodologies.

Ways to Mitigate the Impact:
  1. Prioritize Hiring Quality Over Speed:
    • Resist the urge to fill roles quickly; instead, focus on quality.
    • Extend search timelines if necessary to find the right talent.
  2. Assess Beyond Certifications:
    • While certifications (CSM, PSM, ICP-ACC) are useful, they do not guarantee practical experience.
    • Use scenario-based interviews to evaluate real-world problem-solving skills.
  3. Develop Internal Agile Leaders:
    • Invest in upskilling existing employees who already understand the company culture.
    • Establish mentorship programs pairing junior Agile professionals with seasoned experts.
  4. Adopt Agile Hiring Practices:
    • Use iterative hiring—bring in candidates on short-term contracts before full-time commitments.
    • Conduct collaborative hiring, involving teams in the selection process.
  5. Strengthen Employer Branding in the Agile Community:
    • Position the organization as a great place for Agile professionals by sharing thought leadership, hosting meetups, and engaging with Agile networks.
    • Offer continuous learning opportunities to attract top-tier Agile talent.
  6. Avoid Hiring Agile Coaches as Process Enforcers:
    • True Agile Coaches should drive cultural change, not just enforce Scrum practices.
    • Evaluate whether candidates have experience in coaching leadership, fostering Agile mindsets, and driving organizational agility.
Conclusion:

Moore's Law of Hiring makes it increasingly difficult to find highly qualified Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters, forcing many organizations to compromise on hiring standards. However, settling for sub-par talent can derail Agile transformations, reduce team effectiveness, and damage an organization’s Agile credibility.

By prioritizing quality hiring, leveraging internal talent, assessing beyond certifications, and strengthening employer branding, organizations can overcome this challenge and build strong Agile leadership that fosters true transformation.

Key Takeaways

  • Hiring underqualified Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches leads to failed Agile transformations.
  • Agile leadership roles require practical experience, not just certifications.
  • Building internal Agile talent can mitigate hiring challenges.
  • Agile hiring should be iterative, with rigorous evaluation methods.
  • Organizations must resist the urge to fill roles quickly at the cost of quality.

Summary

Agile transformations succeed or fail based on the strength of Agile Coaches and Scrum Masters. Due to Moore's Law of Hiring, organizations often struggle to hire top-tier talent, settling for candidates who lack the experience and depth required. This results in ineffective Agile implementations, disengaged teams, and leadership resistance. To combat this, organizations must rethink their hiring strategies—prioritizing quality over speed, evaluating beyond certifications, developing internal talent, and positioning themselves as an employer of choice in the Agile community.