Having started with a niche technology business a few weeks ago it is already clear to me that we are on an exciting journey together with complex projects being delivered today and an expanding pipeline of work that needs delivery in the short and medium term.  More and more this is on a global scale with physical borders and time zones starting to evaporate.

As with many organisations, this one is experiencing the tricky challenge of hiring good people whilst keeping the team focused on delivery - hence why I am here.

This has given me the chance to think about how organisations actually recruit.  That may sound daft I have been recruiting people for decades, what I mean is how a relatively small organisation with a global footprint, looking for some fairly niche skills actually goes about recruitment.

The key, as I see it is that hiring is not a solo effort.  It’s a team game and whilst I have always known that, there is a moment of clarity when you look for people with specific niche skills.  We all need a team around us, a network and if possibel a big happy network.

That big happy network needs work to sustain and nurture, too many networks are one way traffic.  But for a hiring network to work effectively it needs to be open, transparent and people to gain benefit from being part of it.   The idea of ‘paying it forward’ that we are in this together and that the beneficiary of the network might not be the original benefactor.   

In my experience most organisations confine that team to the recruitment team, the hiring manager and probably HR.  Clearly depending on how big your business is will impact on how many of those things you have in place.

When I look at the current team it covers a broad range of people.  First and foremost there are the great people who work here.  They certainly do their bit for the tech community, writing, speaking and contributing.  It is that contributing attitude that has helped them grow the business but also share their knowledge, gain experience and credibility.  Next for any organisation are all the amazing partners that you get to work closely with.  

The final part of the team are the technical community at large, friends of friends and readers of this blog.

Being part of a team is a challenge, especially as your relationship with that team can be different depending on who you are but also when circumstances change.  A good example is the partners relationship when definitely have a vested interest in the success of your organisation but I suspect it has always been slightly awkward to ask that partnership community for direct help in hiring.   How many technical forums have been seen to be contaminated by the introduction of a recruitment conversation?

For my part, I know that getting the right people, people that care, people that will drive your business, drive your customers is still the hardest thing any business will do.   My approach is to engage with all of the team, asking the team for help and support but also contributing something back.  Over the coming weeks I will be writing more about hiring in a tech business and more generally.  Let me know if there are any ‘hot topics’ you would like me to explore.  

M.

About
I have a background in executive search and selection, headhunting and senior level recruitment combined with people and business management experiences. My focus has always been on the IT services, technology and management consultancy sectors on a permanent and interim basis where I have developed a personal portfolio that covers areas such as EVP, social recruitment and the successful creation of talent pools as well the management and leadership of corporate talent acquisition teams.

Currently working across Europe with high growth, high tech organisations to develop effective blended onshore/offshore recruitment models, covering full commercial engagement, transition and ongoing delivery management.

I am an avid blogger, writer, public speaker and traveller of trains across the UK.