Engineering Manager vs Tech Lead Responsibilities

Select the responsibilities that you see yourself focusing on. This will help indicate whether you lean more towards an Engineering Manager role or a Tech Lead role.

People Management & Leadership

Recruiting & HiringBuilding and expanding the team: EM leads hiring strategy, job postings, and makes final hiring decisions; TL may assist by evaluating technical candidates and assessing cultural fit.

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Engineering Manager: 85%

Tech Lead: 15%

Team DevelopmentFostering growth and collaboration: EM focuses on mentorship, career paths, and team-building activities; TL supports by guiding technical skill development and pairing junior engineers with mentors.

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Engineering Manager: 70%

Tech Lead: 30%

MentoringProviding guidance: EM concentrates on professional growth, identifying training opportunities, and career counseling; TL offers deep technical mentorship, code-level feedback, and best practice guidance.

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Engineering Manager: 60%

Tech Lead: 40%

Team's Career GrowthLong-term development of team members: EM looks at promotions, skill diversification, morale-building, and long-term retention strategies; TL focuses on improving technical acumen, encouraging specialization where appropriate.

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Engineering Manager: 60%

Tech Lead: 40%

Conflict ResolutionMediating disputes and ensuring team harmony: EM leads in managing interpersonal conflicts, facilitating difficult conversations, and addressing work environment issues; TL may support by clarifying technical misunderstandings and aligning on coding standards.

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Engineering Manager: 85%

Tech Lead: 15%

Performance EvaluationsConducting performance reviews: EM evaluates overall performance, assesses goal achievement, and identifies growth opportunities; TL provides insight into technical competencies, code quality, and architectural contributions.

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Engineering Manager: 80%

Tech Lead: 20%

Onboarding & IntegrationIntegrating new hires into the team: EM ensures proper onboarding processes, sets initial performance expectations, and provides necessary resources; TL ensures new hires understand the codebase, tools, and development workflows.

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Engineering Manager: 65%

Tech Lead: 35%

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion AdvocacyPromoting an inclusive environment: EM sets policies, champions diversity initiatives, and addresses systemic issues; TL supports by fostering inclusive communication in code reviews, pair programming, and team interactions.

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Engineering Manager: 80%

Tech Lead: 20%

Strategic & Organizational Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Decision-Making

Based on your selections, you are more likely to enjoy being a Balanced role.

You value both organizational leadership and hands-on technical guidance equally.

Engineering Manager vs Tech Lead Responsibilities

People Management & Leadership

Strategic & Organizational Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Decision-Making

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