Daniele Procida (Director of Engineering) recently shared a practical guide on how to get a job at Canonical. It is an excellent resource for anyone navigating our hiring process. I wanted to build on that and share the philosophy behind those steps. As the Chief of Staff for software engineering, I see how our values shape every hiring decision we make.
Humanity as a hiring principle
Canonical is the publisher of Ubuntu, one of the world’s most popular open-source Linux distributions. The name “Ubuntu” comes from an African philosophy that translates to “I am what I am because of who we all are.” For our operating system, this means technology should be accessible to everyone and empower people rather than exclude them.
We apply this same principle to our hiring. We are a truly remote company because we believe talent isn’t bound by a certain geography. If we want software to be accessible to everyone, our career opportunities must be too. Great team members are those who don’t need an office to feel driven, they are motivated by the mission itself. We are willing to find the right place for the right people, regardless of where they are in the world.
Work that matters, at a scale that counts
When an organization is growing, it’s important to ensure that each new hire can have an impact. A growing organization shouldn’t make it harder for an individual to make their mark. At Canonical, we’re looking for people who won’t just fit into the organization, but who will challenge the way things are done.
At Canonical, we believe that impact and potential are the true drivers of career progression. My own journey illustrates how the company looks beyond conventional industry templates to find the right person for the right challenge. I joined the company at 28, with five years of experience (and rapid career growth!), as the Chief of Staff for the entire engineering organization. In most companies, a role of this scope is reserved for those meeting predefined experience thresholds.
When I applied, it was for a Director of DevOps role. However, during the process, my Hiring Lead identified a more strategic need. Canonical was transitioning from a scale-up to an enterprise, and we needed to ensure that our 50 engineering teams were all on the same page, with the same goals, speaking the same language. This is a challenge for any growing organization, but because I had experience aligning large teams in my previous role, Canonical chose to trust that vision and capability.
Since then, we have scaled from 600 to 950 engineers. We replaced the argument of “it has always been this way” with unified standards and a predictable cadence. This approach also ensures we hire open-minded people who aren’t set in their ways. It’s important that candidates bring experience, but are still happy to challenge the way things are done.
My role was not to impose a generic industry framework, but to find the best ways of working for Canonical’s specific context. We value sharp minds and high energy because, in a fast-paced environment, the ability to find a better option is more impactful than just following a traditional playbook.
Small teams, big impact
Our CEO, Mark Shuttleworth, envisions Canonical as the “best little software company in the world.” What this means in practice is that you don’t have to be a huge company to have a far-reaching impact in the world. We intentionally organize our 950-strong engineering force into powerful, nimble squads that prioritize agility and deep expertise over organizational layers. In our culture, everyone is an expert in their field. By choosing depth over speed and strong signal over high volume, we create a space for those who are ready to go the extra mile for their colleagues. This ensures that you wake up eager to collaborate with and learn from exceptional peers.
A human approach to screening
We do not use automated systems to screen your application. We believe that hiring needs to be fair, and that algorithms can reinforce hidden biases. Instead, hiring leads and associates review every CV manually.
When you apply, we look closely at your answers to our application questions. If your answers are informative and reflect clear thinking, we progress you to the next stage and give you the chance to show your skills and give some context to your CV.
Finding the right home for talent
Recognizing individual potential is central to how we work. We don’t just see the role you applied for. We look for the best place for your talents to thrive within our community. Applying for the “wrong” role is not a disqualification. If we see potential that matches our core principles, but not necessarily the role you applied for, we will redirect you. We do not lower the bar, but we do invest time in finding the right fit for strong candidates.
We have seen engineers apply for a specific product team, only to find a far more significant impact in a different domain where their passion and technical rigor were the missing piece of the puzzle. For instance, one engineer applied for a role in container orchestration, but we identified a stronger alignment with our distributed database team. By finding that perfect fit, they were able to thrive and eventually grow into a staff engineer role, owning the performance and correctness programs for the entire organization.
A process designed for excellence
Our hiring process is rigorous, and that is by design. We protect our culture by being deliberate, not fast. This depth of engagement is the first investment we make in your career here, ensuring you’re entering an environment where you can actually thrive.
At Canonical, every individual is a vital part of the whole. Our goal is to find the exact role where your expertise “clicks” into place, ensuring that you have the greatest possible impact. We are looking for that perfect alignment where your unique strengths meet our most meaningful work.
The most important thing for you to know is that the people in the hiring pipeline are on your side. We lean towards giving a candidate a chance and offering them the opportunity to prove their skills, rather than being rigid in our filtering.
While our process is strict, your hiring lead is often your biggest advocate. We intentionally keep the system rigorous, but we work to move promising candidates through because we want to see you succeed. We want to see how you stand out amongst your peers. If you believe you can make a real difference here, I encourage you to apply!
Further Reading
- Canonical Careers
- How to get a job at Canonical – A blog by Daniele Procida (Director of Engineering)
- Canonical hiring process
Discover more from Ubuntu-Server.com
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
