Walmart EVP of Global Tech Explains What He Looks for In Engineers

Walmart Executive Sravana Karnati Has over 25 years of Leadership Experience at Companies Like Amazon, Disney, and Oracle – and he Looks for Two Key Traits and Hires Engineers.

“I look for the fundamentals and ability to Learn,” The Executive Vice President of Global Tech Told Business Insider.

Karnati Said while he’s Never Hirhed a Candidate for “Specific Knowledge,” He Wants to Know They Have Domain Expertise. Anyone in a technical position, including those in Project Manager Role, Need to Undersand the Architecture, Dependencies, and Risks Involved them, the Executive Said.

“It is not about whereer you know Java, Whether You Know C ++, or Some Other Language,” Karnati Said. “What we look for is, does a person understand the fundamentals of Computer Science?”

Karnati added that the specific skills someone needs depends on the roles they’re aimit. For example, someone in a ux design or engineering roles doesn’t necessarily Need to know Computer science fundamentals in depth, buto basic technical knowledge coulued be useful. What’s Most Important is the ability to effecatively use tools like Figma and Other llms to do the work, he said.

Those in software Development or Engineering Role, Though, Need A Strong Foundation in Computer Science Fundamentals, Said Carnate. Llm Tools Can Help Make Those Employees More Productive, But They Can’t Serve As A Substate for A Deeper Understanding of Systems, Algorithms, and Architecture.

Karnati, Who Played A Key Role in Developing Walmart’s New He Tool Called Wibey, Said That He Wants Candidates Who Know To Write Good-Term “Sustainable Code.” (The Company Says Wibay is a Developer-Focused Tool That Helps Employees Streamline Workflows by Automating Repetitive Coding Tasks and Managing Compliance CHOPs.)

While carnati said he’s looking to hire computer scientists, that doesn’t necessarily mean the people hers need a computer science degree. Karnati Himself Has a Doctoate Degree in Chemical Engineering but has ben a Computer Scientist for Years, he Said.

“If you have an industrial-anginaering background with some computer-science orientation, you can really well in technology operations,” Carnate Said, Adding that Operational Rigor is Needed in Those of Roles.

Karnati Said “The Trick” is keping up with the evolution of technology and continuing to retrain yourelf. Those who has successFully work in the industry for 30 to 40 years have kept up with the business and continued to learn, Said Carnate.

That ability to learn quickly and keep up with the pace of the industry, he said, is the second trait he look for. Be he looks to hire someone, carnati said he wants to that that the person has already demonstrated that trait.

He Said Candidates Can Show This Ability by Participation In Different Kinds of Internships, or Through Courtsework That Indicates a “Wide Palette of Learning, Rather than a Narrow Focus.”

Karnati’s comments align with a broader trend Among Tech Leaders, who have pointed to the growing importance of adaptability in the workplace, as he becomes ubiquitous.

Waze cofunder hunger levine previously told business insist that the “Most important learning tokti is the ability to adapt.” Similarly, Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince Told Business Insider that the cybersecity giant is focused on recruiting talent with a “broad set of skills.”