Lemon Foundation

Lately, we’ve been talking to many people looking to recruit either into their companies to do work within their business, or into agencies to do agency work.  Back in ’99 it was cool to call yourself a web designer, then it was probably worse than flipping burgers at MacDonald’s - now it seems to be back in flavour with those in the know.  But despite that return to favour, it seems to be harder recruiting good people than finding a good curry in Fulham.

There seems to be some debate as to what people are looking for – deep vertical knowledge with a particular technology or wide general skills that are useful everywhere.  Most people would agree that there is no silver bullet and that if you’re looking for people to execute on a project, you’re probably going to need deep knowledge, whereas if you’re looking for management and planning / consulting skills, you’re looking for people with a wider experience, but who know what technologies to apply and where.

At the same time, there seems to be a lag in the industry (or at least in London), where corporate types are looking for people that can do the bog standard web and application work, and where a growing number of people are pushing the Web 2.0 dream – standards compliant markup, seamless user interaction, web applications instead of web brochures, owning data instead of owning eyeballs; and all underscored with the acronyms we’re all becoming more familiar with.  Some are even getting entrepreneurial and realising that web based business models are possible too!

Of note, the BBC has started doing things that are very progressive (mainly due to the progressive individuals at the BBC that are making things happen), and this in turn is raising the profile of the new web and the promise it holds – but where on earth do you find the people to help you to do these newfangled things you’re dreaming up in the company meeting room?

This is a very good question, but it seems there isn’t a straight answer.  Finding good people is hard for some of the following reasons:

1. Good people know their value.  Because they’re veterans of the first internet boom they’re older, wiser, and less willing to work for peanuts. The fact that many of them now have families to take care may also be a factor!  Because they know what value they bring to a project they’re in a better position when it comes to negotiation – you could always go for someone cheaper and with less experience, but then you never know what you’re getting yourself into.
   
   
2. Good people are probably already doing something they enjoy, so it’s likely you’ll not be able to lure them away unless you’re able to offer them something significantly better than what they currently have.
   
   
3. Good people want to work with other good people and it’s for this reason that companies like Google and Yahoo! are a honey pot for the brilliant people in the industry.  If you can’t offer someone the company of other likeminded stimulating people, you’re unlikely to be able to attract them from wherever they are.
   
   
4. Good people are probably already working for one of the giants, which is almost a culmination of the above 3 points.  The giants know that in order to keep their good people they have to offer great packages within a great working environment, so you’ll probably find that at the giants good people are valued, doing something they enjoy, and working with other good people.
   

It’s not all doom and gloom though – it is possible to find good people, but more often than not it will come down to knowing exactly what kind of person you’re looking for in order to find that person, and then being able to trust that individual to perform as promised.  

Oftentimes businesses decide that they aren’t in the business of looking after and recruiting technical people, so they decide to outsource their needs to people that do these sorts of things – and this is often the best course of action to take for many obvious reasons.  That said, it’s vital that you know and trust people you outsource work to, and if the people you know can’t actually do the work for you, then it’s probably better to ask them to help you to find the skills you’re looking for as they’re more likely to be a better judge of an individuals ability than you are – just because they work in the industry.  

Tied intimately with this is a delivery history – do the people you know and work with deliver on time, within budget, and more often than not surprise you with the good work they’ve done?  If not, then it may be time to start looking for other people, and to build delivery clauses into your contracts!

To find good people, you need to know a few things:

1. Know exactly what you’re looking for.  Because the skills landscape has changed so much, it’s not easy to find highly skilled generalists – you’re more likely to find people with deep skills in particular technology stacks.  The first question to ask is what platform you’re building your digital media on – is it Java, Microsoft .Net, LAMPPP (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP/Perl/Python) or are you looking to do some new Web 2.0 work where you’ll require people that are on the cutting edge.  Are you looking for a graphic designer who knows the web, or are you looking for a web designer – they’re different!  Are you looking to manage projects that are outsourced, or are you looking to manage projects internally.  Either way, you’re only going to find the right people if you can answer the three questions above.
   
   
2. Know exactly what you’re prepared to pay for their skills and time.  Whether you’re looking to find an agency to help you, or bring in contractors, this will aid you in your negotiations and make finding the right person easier, just because most people with experience have minimum daily or project rates they’ll work for.
   
   
3. Know whether you’re looking for someone to help you on a part time / contract basis, or whether you’re looking for a permanent employee.  Again, in order to filter out potential applicants, make it clear what you’re looking for from the beginning.  Every project has its own parameters, so make sure that you’re aware of yours and act accordingly – large projects with larger budgets inherently have more risk associated, so you’re probably going to want an agency that you can trust that risk with.  In contract, smaller projects with smaller budgets probably can’t afford agency rates, so if that’s you, you’re going to need to find a contractor that will work within your budget.
   
   
4. If you know the above 3 points, then you should plumb your existing techie network to help you find good people.  Be they contractors or agencies, the best supplier referral is through a trusted contact, so if you can, try the people you know already before you try the yellow pages.
   
   
5. Know whom to trust with your projects. It’s vitally important that you work with people that you trust.  If you’ve not yet develop a trusting relationship with any kind of supplier then you’re better of offering smaller pieces of work first, to gauge delivery capabilities and work ethic, gradually growing the amount of work and corresponding budget you’re prepared to part with.  Once you’re satisfied that your supplier can deliver and that their skills are up to par, and then consider a more formal arrangement where they’re contractually bound.
   

What we’ve discussed above is what we’re putting into practice when it comes to recruiting internally, so we hope that this is of some help.  At the same time, we’re pretty sure that other people have had other experiences when it comes to finding good people, so we’d welcome any additional comments or feedback that you may have!