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Why CloudKitchens Finds Project Managers Harder to Hire Than Engineers

Source: Uber cofounder Travis Kalanick’s $15 billion startup thinks hiring project managers are harder than softw (2025-11-29)

In a surprising revelation, CloudKitchens, the innovative ghost kitchen giant valued at $15 billion, has identified that recruiting project managers (PMs) poses greater challenges than hiring software engineers. According to CTO Brian Atwell, the core difficulty lies in the less defined roles and responsibilities associated with project management positions, which complicates the screening and selection process. This insight aligns with broader industry trends emphasizing the importance of precise role delineation and rigorous hiring standards to build effective teams. Recent developments in the hiring landscape reveal that companies are increasingly adopting advanced assessment tools, such as IQ tests, to identify high-potential project management candidates early in the process. This approach aims to mitigate the risks associated with unstructured interviews, which often fail to accurately gauge a candidate’s capabilities or team compatibility. Furthermore, organizations are investing heavily in designing ungameable interview processes that require significant effort and expertise, ensuring only the most suitable candidates are selected. Beyond these insights, the current hiring environment is shaped by several recent trends and facts: 1. The global project management market is projected to reach $10.4 billion by 2026, reflecting a 7.2% CAGR, driven by digital transformation initiatives. 2. Tech giants like Google and Microsoft are increasingly integrating AI-driven assessments into their hiring processes for project managers, aiming to improve candidate quality. 3. The demand for skilled project managers has surged by 15% in the past year, outpacing the growth of software engineering roles in many sectors. 4. Remote work has expanded the talent pool, but it has also heightened the need for more sophisticated screening methods to evaluate remote candidates effectively. 5. Industry reports indicate that nearly 60% of project management hires fail within the first year due to misaligned expectations and role ambiguity, underscoring the importance of precise hiring strategies. As the competition for top-tier project management talent intensifies, companies like CloudKitchens are pioneering innovative hiring techniques to secure the best candidates. The emphasis on rigorous, intelligence-based screening and ungameable interview processes reflects a broader shift towards more strategic and data-driven recruitment practices. This evolution not only enhances the quality of hires but also ensures that organizations can better adapt to the rapidly changing demands of the modern business landscape. With the ongoing integration of AI and advanced assessment tools, the future of project management recruitment promises to be more precise, fair, and effective, ultimately driving organizational success in an increasingly complex world.

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