I’ve been traveling for the past three weeks (one more to go), and heard one manager say, “With good people, you can deliver almost anything.” He’s right. And it’s hard to define good people. Saying, “I’ll know one when I see one” is not enough. That’s shot-in-the-dark job analysis.
Job analysis, even if you don’t get it right the first time, is essential to knowing who’s a good person for the job. If you don’t know how to get started, here’s my job analysis template.
October 30th, 2006
Based on my Reviewing Resumes for an Agile Team posts, I wrote a column for Stickyminds, Recognizing Agile Candidates. You can leave comments there or here.
October 10th, 2006
At the SD conference a few weeks ago, a colleague asked me this question. (I’m using the Myers-Briggs terminology:If you’re wondering, I often describe introverts as people who need to think in order to speak, and extaverts as people who need to speak in order to think.)
Well, the answer is Yes and No. If introverts haven’t considered a question before, and they don’t take the time to think, they could be at a disadvantage. But so can extraverts. While I can be charming when I think out loud, I sometimes (!!) circle aroung the point. I can take too long to answer the question, which can make an introvert nutso 
The key for all people is to prepare for interviews. If you’re a candidate, practice. If you’re part of a hiring team, practice. You’ll still hear/ask some questions you haven’t thought of before, and that’s ok. But you’ll be ready for more of them.
October 4th, 2006