Comments for Hiring Technical People http://jrothman.com/blog/htp Hiring technical people and being hired can be difficult, no matter what the economy is doing. Use the tips here to hire better, or find a new job. Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:54:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 Comment on A Little More on How to Hire a Manager by HR World » Blog Archive » Wednesday Links: Creating Community, The Economy, Hiring A Manager http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/a-little-more-on-how-to-hire-a-manager.html#comment-3670 HR World » Blog Archive » Wednesday Links: Creating Community, The Economy, Hiring A Manager Thu, 03 Jul 2008 17:28:02 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/a-little-more-on-how-to-hire-a-manager.html#comment-3670 [...] How do you hire a manager? Hiring Technical People breaks it down a little more. Read it here. [...] […] How do you hire a manager? Hiring Technical People breaks it down a little more. Read it here. […]

]]> Comment on Why is Ageism Alive and Well? by Ajit de Silva http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3654 Ajit de Silva Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:41:35 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3654 What a thoughtful article. I have a been a victim of Aegism in the IT industry in Sri Lanka. There is a certain company that does travel related software development in Colombo. When I applied for a Project Manager role, there was not even an acknowledgement. Then I probed through a previous team member of mine, their HR Manager had told him, he did not think that a 48 year old could add any value in an environment where most developers are in the age bracket of 27 - 35 years. I felt slighted but just took it up because I am mature. Some of our young developers in the software world are brash and insolent. They do not think that they will also age, like everyone. As JR says in her post, I have not retired from the IT industry because I am over the hill. I think it is mostly a lack of awareness and a touch of an inferirority complex. I hope these young developers are always managed by older HR Managers to gety some real sense inside their "nuts". What a thoughtful article. I have a been a victim of Aegism in the IT industry in Sri Lanka.

There is a certain company that does travel related software development in Colombo. When I applied for a Project Manager role, there was not even an acknowledgement. Then I probed through a previous team member of mine, their HR Manager had told him, he did not think that a 48 year old could add any value in an environment where most developers are in the age bracket of 27 - 35 years. I felt slighted but just took it up because I am mature.

Some of our young developers in the software world are brash and insolent. They do not think that they will also age, like everyone. As JR says in her post, I have not retired from the IT industry because I am over the hill.

I think it is mostly a lack of awareness and a touch of an inferirority complex. I hope these young developers are always managed by older HR Managers to gety some real sense inside their “nuts”.

]]> Comment on Being Specific When Analyzing a Job by Walter Underwood http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/being-specific-when-analyzing-a-job.html#comment-3651 Walter Underwood Wed, 02 Jul 2008 23:36:14 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/being-specific-when-analyzing-a-job.html#comment-3651 Those definitions of teamwork are approaching the idea of "good expedition behavior", first laid out by Paul Petzoldt. He investigated problems on mountaineering expeditions and found that many failures were caused by poor behavior, not poor equipment, skills, or conditions. The current NOLS definition for good EB is here: http://www.nols.edu/alumni/leader/06summer/expedition_behavior.shtml My favorite version is this humorous one: http://recparks.asp.radford.edu/faculty/behavior.htm It starts with descriptions that apply to projects as well: A good expedition team is like a powerful, well-oiled, finely tuned marriage. Members cook meals together, carry burdens together, face challenges together and finally go to bed together. A bad expedition, on the other hand, is an awkward, ugly, embarrassing thing characterized by bickering, filth, frustration and crispy macaroni. Those definitions of teamwork are approaching the idea of “good expedition behavior”, first laid out by Paul Petzoldt. He investigated problems on mountaineering expeditions and found that many failures were caused by poor behavior, not poor equipment, skills, or conditions.

The current NOLS definition for good EB is here:

http://www.nols.edu/alumni/leader/06summer/expedition_behavior.shtml

My favorite version is this humorous one:

http://recparks.asp.radford.edu/faculty/behavior.htm

It starts with descriptions that apply to projects as well:

A good expedition team is like a powerful, well-oiled, finely tuned marriage. Members cook meals together, carry burdens together, face challenges together and finally go to bed together.

A bad expedition, on the other hand, is an awkward, ugly, embarrassing thing characterized by bickering, filth, frustration and crispy macaroni.

]]> Comment on What Are Your Expectations for New Grads? by Terrence Seamon http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3554 Terrence Seamon Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:07:30 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3554 Good points on the skills that employers may need to work on with these new Gen Y hires, Johanna. Terry Good points on the skills that employers may need to work on with these new Gen Y hires, Johanna.
Terry

]]> Comment on Why is Ageism Alive and Well? by Steve Freeman http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3516 Steve Freeman Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:58:08 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3516 Dave Snowden, on a panel at XP2008, let slip a recent research result. I didn't get the source but it sounds both plausible and hopeful. We know that the brain changes from birth to about the mid-20's, at which point most people have pretty much made up their minds about stuff. It turns out that things open up again from our mid-40's and that we become more innovative again. This makes sense in evolutionary terms since traditionally that would be when we would become an elder and have to deal with grandchildren and more responsibility. Let's hope it's true. Dave Snowden, on a panel at XP2008, let slip a recent research result. I didn’t get the source but it sounds both plausible and hopeful. We know that the brain changes from birth to about the mid-20’s, at which point most people have pretty much made up their minds about stuff. It turns out that things open up again from our mid-40’s and that we become more innovative again. This makes sense in evolutionary terms since traditionally that would be when we would become an elder and have to deal with grandchildren and more responsibility. Let’s hope it’s true.

]]> Comment on Why is Ageism Alive and Well? by Dwayne Phillips http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3485 Dwayne Phillips Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:38:52 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3485 You old people are all alike ;-) This can be a tough one. On one hand it is clearly illegal to discriminate. On the other hand, I have met many people over 40 who don't know anything beyond dial-up Internet access. I see this as an issue of open or closed minds. I have met many people in their late 20s who have not learned a thing since their first day on the job. I would hope that HR people are smarter than just looking at birth dates. What has the person done lately? You old people are all alike ;-)

This can be a tough one. On one hand it is clearly illegal to discriminate. On the other hand, I have met many people over 40 who don’t know anything beyond dial-up Internet access.

I see this as an issue of open or closed minds. I have met many people in their late 20s who have not learned a thing since their first day on the job.

I would hope that HR people are smarter than just looking at birth dates.

What has the person done lately?

]]> Comment on Why is Ageism Alive and Well? by 080624 Daily Recruiting Links (June 24, 2008) | johnsumser.com: Recruiting News and Views http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3467 080624 Daily Recruiting Links (June 24, 2008) | johnsumser.com: Recruiting News and Views Tue, 24 Jun 2008 17:39:40 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/why-is-ageism-alive-and-well.html#comment-3467 [...] Why is Ageism Alive and Well? The subtleties of discrimination cloud decision making. Includes a pointer to What’s a Year of Experience?. [...] […] Why is Ageism Alive and Well? The subtleties of discrimination cloud decision making. Includes a pointer to What’s a Year of Experience?. […]

]]> Comment on Age and Agile Are Orthogonal by Hiring Technical People » Why is Ageism Alive and Well? http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2007/03/age-and-agile-are-orthogonal.html#comment-3461 Hiring Technical People » Why is Ageism Alive and Well? Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:59:11 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2007/03/age-and-agile-are-orthogonal.html#comment-3461 [...] I have more than one hand’s worth  of data, including, Age and Agile Are Orthogonal, I decided I wasn’t nuts about this, and people in our industry are discriminating about [...] […] I have more than one hand’s worth  of data, including, Age and Agile Are Orthogonal, I decided I wasn’t nuts about this, and people in our industry are discriminating about […]

]]> Comment on What Are Your Expectations for New Grads? by HR World » Blog Archive » Wednesday Links: Crushing Employees, New Grad Expectations http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3238 HR World » Blog Archive » Wednesday Links: Crushing Employees, New Grad Expectations Thu, 12 Jun 2008 10:44:01 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3238 [...] Hiring Technical People asks an important question: what are your expectations for new graduates? Read the discussion here. [...] […] Hiring Technical People asks an important question: what are your expectations for new graduates? Read the discussion here. […]

]]> Comment on What Are Your Expectations for New Grads? by Bob Kerns http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3203 Bob Kerns Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:43:16 +0000 http://jrothman.com/blog/htp/2008/06/what-are-your-expectations-for-new-grads.html#comment-3203 The number one thing to look for in a new grad is: "What have you done besides go to class?" (That's not the question to ask, of course -- you get at it through a series of questions). What you're looking for is someone with initiative, who has sought out challenges and gained experience actually doing things, not just being fed information. This can take a lot of different forms (which is why you need a series of questions). Interesting work, personal projects, volunteering, involvement in research projects. But more than anything else, it delineates the people who will dive in, and figure out how to get productive right away, and keep on building their skill sets. Generally, you'll just have to make sure they have what they need to grow, and keep out of their way! The number one thing to look for in a new grad is:

“What have you done besides go to class?” (That’s not the question to ask, of course — you get at it through a series of questions).

What you’re looking for is someone with initiative, who has sought out challenges and gained experience actually doing things, not just being fed information.

This can take a lot of different forms (which is why you need a series of questions). Interesting work, personal projects, volunteering, involvement in research projects. But more than anything else, it delineates the people who will dive in, and figure out how to get productive right away, and keep on building their skill sets.

Generally, you’ll just have to make sure they have what they need to grow, and keep out of their way!

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