Blogs

Stop Hiring Unicorns: Build Teams That Can Scale Without Superheroes

How many “unicorn” hires has your team lost in the past year? You know the type: the mythical full-stack engineer who codes, designs, manages projects AND mentors juniors - all without breaking a sweat. Companies spend months hunting for these elusive candidates, convinced that landing one will solve every team problem.


Here’s the hard truth: unicorns are rare and chasing them often slows hiring, burns out teams and leaves critical projects stalled. Instead of relying on a single superstar, the smartest tech teams focus on building scalable, resilient teams. The kind where collaboration and complementary skills do the heavy lifting.

Chasing unicorns slows you down. Building teams scales you up.

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By Kara Porter January 13, 2026
The start of a new year is an opportunity to reflect, reassess and make intentional decisions about your career. For tech professionals, planning now can help you take advantage of opportunities, navigate emerging trends and advancing your career. This guide offers practical steps to help you consider, prepare and take confident action in the months ahead. Reflect on your career to date Review your achievements, projects and skills gained over the past year. Consider what worked well and what you’d like to change in your next role. Factor in responsibilities, team dynamics and company culture. Identify gaps in your knowledge or experience and set concrete goals to address them. Tip: Focus on showing how you apply your skills in real contexts. Link them to projects, roles and education to help hiring managers understand your impact. Suggesting clear examples and outcomes makes your profile stand out. Helpful resource: How to Highlight Skills on LinkedIn to Get Noticed (LinkedIn Business Talent Blog) provides tips on listing and structuring skills that attract recruiter attention. Understand the tech market Look at which areas of tech are hiring and in demand (e.g., data, cloud, cybersecurity). Track early hiring signals - new team expansions, company announcements, published salary guides or roles being filled quickly. Consider how your skillset aligns with market demand and where you could add unique value. Helpful resource: Stay up to date on tech hiring trends and market insights by following Tech & Data People on LinkedIn 
By Kara Porter December 17, 2025
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Two glowing purple cyborgs in front of a futuristic city skyline.
By Kara Porter November 12, 2025
As AI shifts from experimentation to enterprise, businesses are rethinking what roles truly drive value. Discover how the next wave of AI talent is turning data into decisions.
Glowing purple brain with interconnected lights, set against a swirling, dark purple and blue background.
By Kara Porter October 16, 2025
Explore why neurodiversity matters in tech, how different ways of thinking strengthen teams and practical strategies for building inclusive, high-performing data and tech teams.
Wind turbines and solar panels under a pink and purple sunset sky.
By Kara Porter September 29, 2025
Meeting net-zero targets starts with tech talent. Discover the critical cloud, security and integration roles driving a sustainable future.
Man with glasses in purple-lit room; on left, wearing headset and typing; on right, looking to the side.
By Kara Porter September 1, 2025
Ageism is holding back Australia’s tech workforce. Here’s why experience matters and how businesses can embrace age-inclusive hiring.
By Kara Porter August 12, 2025
Welcome to Lunch With a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
A computer chip is sitting on top of a purple motherboard.
By Kara Porter July 17, 2025
Spoiler: “Competitive salary” isn’t the hook you think it is.
By Kara Porter July 7, 2025
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.
By Kara Porter June 11, 2025
Welcome to Lunch with a Leader, where the Tech & Data People team sits down with IT leaders to uncover their career insights, challenges, and industry perspectives. Each conversation brings valuable lessons, trends, and advice to help our community grow and thrive. Grab a seat at the table and take in the insights from some of the best in the business.