Love at First Hire

LOVE AT FIRST HIRE Finding the perfect match for your next

technology project!

Grant HoweLynn Winter

#14NTCMatch

Finding the perfect match for your next technology project

LOVE AT LOVE AT FIRST HIREFIRST HIRE

Lynn WinterDirector of Projects, GORTON STUDIOS

lynn@gortonstudios.com

HELLO!HELLO!

Grant HoweVP of Research and Development, ABILA

grant.howe@abila.com

WHYWHYare we here today?

Photo by bfishadow

AGENDAAGENDA

AGENDAAGENDA

Review resource option pros and cons

Deep dive to successfully locate and hire each resource option

Key items to maintain the relationship

RESOURCESRESOURCESPROS and CONS

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Long-term investment

BE OURS

PROSPROS

Broad capabilities

Yearly capacity increase

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Time consuming to find right fit

BE OURS

CONSCONS

Annual budget expenditure continues

Investment required for success

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Expert in the field

GOOD JOB

PROSPROS

Outside perspective

Time available

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Lack institutional knowledge

GOOD JOB

CONSCONS

Expensive

Work off-site

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Need institutional expertise

HIRE ME

WHY A MATCH?WHY A MATCH?

Growing or replacing internal talent

Need spans several years

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Get real - cost and expectations

HIRE ME

YOUR STEPSYOUR STEPS

Craft simple job description

Go candidate hunting

1

2

3

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Assemble interview team

HIRE ME

YOUR STEPSYOUR STEPS

Make a decision

4

5

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

White board with stakeholders

Determine available budget

GET REALGET REAL11

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Clear title

Required vs. nice to haves

Upfront with requirements

CRAFT JOB DESCRIPTIONCRAFT JOB DESCRIPTION22

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Post internally first!

Post on skill specific job boards

Post on segment specific job boards

GO CANDIDATE HUNTINGGO CANDIDATE HUNTING33

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Recruiters may be worth the cost

Screen resumes for content

Pre-interview potential candidates

GO CANDIDATE HUNTINGGO CANDIDATE HUNTING33

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Assign members roles and tasks

Request input and not a vote

Gather feedback separately

ASSEMBLE INTERVIEW ASSEMBLE INTERVIEW TEAMTEAM44

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Evaluate feedback vs requirements

Follow your instinct

Prioritize the right fit over timeline

MAKE A DECISIONMAKE A DECISION55

EMPLOYEESEMPLOYEES

Get approval of verbal offer

Background check before offer

Talk with new hire each week before start date

MAKE A DECISIONMAKE A DECISION55

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Require specific skills

BE MY TECHIE

WHY A MATCH?WHY A MATCH?

Internal staff has no available time

Ready to start now

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Assemble your hiring team

BE MY TECHIE

YOUR STEPSYOUR STEPS

Clarify your purpose

Contact potential partners

1

2

3

Post your RFP4

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Evaluate the talent

BE MY TECHIE

YOUR STEPSYOUR STEPS

Establish project boundaries

Secure a long-term relationship

5

6

7

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Keep to an effective size

Understand the time commitment

ASSEMBLE YOUR ASSEMBLE YOUR HIRING TEAMHIRING TEAM11

Prioritize the big picture

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Be willing to shake it up

Fill key team roles

ASSEMBLE YOUR ASSEMBLE YOUR HIRING TEAMHIRING TEAM11

Team Wrangler

The Authority Brand Watchdog

Technical LeadOrg. Liaison

Dept. Reps

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Who is your organization?

Why are you making changes?

Who are your users?

CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSECLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE22

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

What do your users need to do?

What is your priority?

CLARIFY YOUR PURPOSECLARIFY YOUR PURPOSE22

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Where are they hiding?

CONTACT POTENTIAL CONTACT POTENTIAL PARTNERSPARTNERS33

Conferences

Industry Sites Competitors

Similar Orgs.

NTEN.org

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Ensure good talent responds to RFP

Survey of the landscape

CONTACT POTENTIAL CONTACT POTENTIAL PARTNERSPARTNERS33

Reality check on scope and budget

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

New ideas to consider

Sense of your project’s crazy

CONTACT POTENTIAL CONTACT POTENTIAL PARTNERSPARTNERS

33

Consider sending a pre-interview

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Exchange commitments in writing

Break large projects into pieces

Specify what is flexible & what isn’t

POST YOUR RFP POST YOUR RFP - DO- DO44

Allow for conversations

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Specify every detail

Speak only to the sales team

Ask for spec work

POST YOUR RFP POST YOUR RFP – DON’T– DON’T44

Require a labored response

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Cultural Fit

EVALUTE THE TALENTEVALUTE THE TALENT55

Similar sized organization

Motivated by similar missions

Communications are easy

Willing to work AND drink together

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Previous Work

EVALUTE THE TALENTEVALUTE THE TALENT55

Sites look good and work well

Display breadth of web services

Proven experience implementing similar features

Technology chops top notch

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Previous Clients

EVALUTE THE TALENTEVALUTE THE TALENT55

Work with nonprofits

Genre overlap

Similar sized budgets and scope

References check out

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Potential Red Flags

EVALUTE THE TALENTEVALUTE THE TALENT55

Proposal fits your RFP perfectly

Won’t maintain their own work

Don’t respond quickly

Team is growing rapidly

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Scope

ESTABLISH PROJECT ESTABLISH PROJECT BOUNDARIESBOUNDARIES66

Scope limitations

3rd party options

Custom code carryover

Brand changes

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Budget

ESTABLISH PROJECT ESTABLISH PROJECT BOUNDARIESBOUNDARIES66

Budget parameters

Budget reports

Contingency plan

Long-term costs

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Timeline

ESTABLISH PROJECT ESTABLISH PROJECT BOUNDARIESBOUNDARIES66

Start date

Launch drivers

Partial vs full timeline

Risks affecting timeline

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Be their cheerleader

Listen to each other

Respect your commitments

SECURE A LONG-TERM SECURE A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP77

CONTRACTORSCONTRACTORS

Remember - you are humans

Formalize new projects

Have fun!

SECURE A LONG-TERM SECURE A LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPRELATIONSHIP77

FINAL TIPSFINAL TIPSon a successful relationship

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?

Photo by Sonny Abesamis

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