#173: Hiring for Agile Roles That Actually Work with Cort Sharp
About this episode
This episode discusses the critical aspects of hiring for Agile roles, focusing on what to look for in Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Developers.
Hiring for Scrum roles is harder than it looks. Making the wrong call can derail an Agile transformation before it even starts. In this episode, Brian and Cort unpack what to actually look for in Scrum Masters, Product Owners, and Developers—beyond the job title and shiny certifications. Overview What makes someone a great Scrum Master? How do you spot the difference between a capable Product Owner and a glorified backlog manager? And what qualities matter most in a developer on a cross-functional Agile team? In this episode, Brian Milner and Cort Sharp dig into one of the most foundational (and overlooked) parts of successful Agile adoption: hiring. You’ll learn what to include—and what to avoid—in your job descriptions, how to interview for the “real” skills that matter, and why collaboration often matters more than technical brilliance. Whether you're filling new roles or leveling up existing ones, this conversation will help you build stronger, more resilient teams from day one. References and resources mentioned in the show: Cort Sharp Blog: 7 Questions to Determine if Being a Scrum Master Is Right for You by Mike Cohn #155: Preparing for Interviews the Agile Way with Tali…
More episodes of Agile Mentors Podcast from Mountain Goat Software
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- #177: The 5 Habits of High Learning Teams with Lance Dacy
- #176: Why Most Product Organizations Struggle with Jason Knight
- #175: When AI Makes Agile Teams Worse with Hunter Hillegas
- #174: Why Estimating Still Matters with Mike Cohn
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