THINKINGLONG(ER)TERM:Hiringstrategiesforyourgrowingbusinessearly

MikeStubbs|SeniorDirectorofOperaEons&HeadofTalent,FiscalNote

Whattohirefor?

Ques%onstoaskyourselfbeforehiringanindividual:•  Howimportantisthisskillset/knowledgenowvs.thefuture?

•  Canrelevantskillsetsbegainedquickly/easily?

•  Whatisanindividual’scapacitytolearnthisskillset?Otherskillsets?

CandidateLearningCapacityModel

Time

Knowledge/SkillSet

PersonA

PersonB

Slope=CapacitytoLearn

CandidateLearningCapacityModel

Steve

Lauren

Time

Knowledge/SkillSet

*Today

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Ember.js

-  LearnedAngular.jsquicklyforpreviouscompany’sMVP

-  AlotofopensourcecontribuEon-  5yearsdevelopmentexperience-  NoEmber.jsexperience-  NoCSdegree

-  5yearsexperience-  HighlyskilledinEmber.js–only

front-endframeworkwiththislevelofexperEse,butli_ledesiretoworkonotherframeworks/technologies

-  CSundergraduatedegree

Steve

Lauren

CandidateLearningCapacityModel

Steve

Lauren

Time

Knowledge/SkillSet

*Today

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Ember.js

LevelofEmber.jsabili%esweneed

ScenarioA ScenarioB

ScenarioC

ShouldwehireLaurenorSteve?

CandidateLearningCapacityModel

ANSWER:itdepends…•  Whatareyourgoalsasabusiness?•  WhatpercentageofourengineeringstackisfocusedonEmber.js?•  Dowealreadyhaveotherengineers?Ifso,whataretheirskillsets?•  DoSteve/Laurenbringotherrelevantskillsets?•  ArewealwaysgoingtohaveafocusonEmber.jsorisourcoreproduct/

offeringgoingtomovetoothertechnologies?•  Whatisanindividual’scapacitytolearnthisskillset?Otherskillsets?

HiringforSkillSetsoverTime

Assizeofcompanyincreases,scopeofspecializaEonnarrows(duh!)

ScopeofResponsibility

10employees

20employees

30employees

Xemployees

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OK–thisisallobvious,butwhathappenswhenanindividual’sskillsetisnolongerneeded,othersobtainsameskillset,ortheirknowledgehasbeenpassedontotherestoftheorganizaEon….

Lotsofvery,verydifferentthingstodo–therearen’tevenmul%-persondepartments!

Iambeginningtonolongerwritemarke%ngcontent,manageourElas%csearchcluster,doalltheproductdesign,createpredic%on,

algorithms,closedeals,ANDmanageclients.Ichooseto

focusonEngineering+Designrelatedtasks.

Iwritekillerfront-endcode&

par%cipateindesignreview!

(don’tbeafraidofunconven1onalcandidates

here)

Ifyoudon’tplanwell,then….

Fireemployee

Con%nuetoobservesubop%malresults

AcEon

Movetootherpartofcompany

Consequence

Cancreatecultureoffearifnotdonewell

Highperformingemployeesdon’tfeeltheneedtoproduceathighqualityasaresult

Otheremployeespoten%allyseesubparperformancerewardedand/ortolerated

Layoffindividual Layoffsmightimplybusinessfailing,otheremployeesthenleave

Ideasforgeneraltraitstohirefor•  Flexibility•  Adap%veLearner•  Coachability•  Resilience•  Mo%va%on–Acoreinterestinyourcompanyandwhatit’sdoing

•  Ifindividuals’reasonsforjoininghavetodowithyourcorecompany,industry,technology,youareofftoagreatstart.

•  Ifindividualsareinterestedin“beingatastartup,”withoutmuchcontext,stayaway.Tothemstartupsarereallysexyinpopularculture,buttheyaren’tnecessarilyrepresentaEveofactuality!

QUESTIONS?

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