vector research partners ( aka V4RP )
The Rotation Program That Keeps This Startup’s Engineers Learning — and Not Leaving
Checkr VP of Engineering Krista Moroder shares how a formal rotation program has helped keep her team’s non-regrettable attrition near zero.
From Teachers’ Lounge to Engineering Leadership
Checkr’s VP of Engineering Krista Moroder drew inspiration for leading an engineering organization from her early career as an educator. Before entering tech, she taught and later directed programs at an education nonprofit.
“There’s one activity that stuck with me,” Moroder recalls. “School leaders would put up a chart with every student’s name and ask teachers to add stickers next to students who were engaged — in class, after school, or in other ways. Kids without stickers were ‘at-risk.’ The goal was to eventually give every kid a sticker.”
Moroder brought the same concept to engineering. Now, she tracks every engineer on her team and what they’re working on in a spreadsheet. This approach has helped her tackle a key challenge: retaining top engineers.
Why Engineers Leave
Moroder notes that flight risk becomes more pronounced as startups scale. At smaller startups, rotations happen naturally because engineers wear multiple hats. At larger, specialized teams, it’s common for engineers to leave after two or three years.
“Engineers leave because they get bored,” she says. “They’re allergic to monotony. If they aren’t constantly learning, they’ll leave.”
Technical growth and learning opportunities are often more important than compensation. “Engineers want to keep learning. If they have to go somewhere else to do that, they’ll leave,” she adds.
V4RP: Rotation Program Design
Moroder formalized rotations to give engineers exposure to new teams, cross-functional projects, and emerging tech skills like AI and data engineering. This keeps top talent engaged while solving high-priority business problems.
Retention Results:
- Non-regrettable attrition: 0% two years ago, 2% the year after
- Staff engineers and above: ~60% with six or more years at Checkr
Engineers now often describe their careers as “having three careers in one company.”
Steps to Build a Rotation Program
Step 1: Track Engagement
Create a “sticker board” spreadsheet to track each engineer’s involvement in:
- Rotations or cross-functional projects
- Work on multiple teams
- Training for new roles
Moroder’s goal: every engineer has at least one “sticker” within three years.
Step 2: Align Rotations With Business Priorities
Quarterly, leadership identifies urgent initiatives needing experienced engineers. Rotations allow teams to flexibly staff projects without a full reorg.
Step 3: Manage Permanent Transfers Carefully
Rotations are temporary. Permanent transfers happen only after capacity planning and discussions with engineers. Rotations also maintain a balance of “anchor” engineers to provide stability.
Getting Manager Buy-In
Moroder faced pushback from managers hesitant to release top talent. She approached it with two principles:
- Succession Matters – If a team member is irreplaceable, that’s a problem. Rotations allow for cross-team knowledge sharing.
- Group Goals Come First – Managers’ focus should extend beyond their direct reports to the broader org priorities.
Hiring managers for humility and collaboration ensures buy-in. Candidates are evaluated for willingness to tackle messy, high-impact problems and work across teams.
Key Takeaways
- Rotations are not just for new grads; they can retain senior engineers in scaling startups.
- Career growth, learning opportunities, and exposure to new challenges are more important than equity refreshes alone.
- Tracking engagement, aligning rotations with business priorities, and managing manager expectations are critical to success.
- Always ask: “What’s your next career here?”
