Q. We recently went through a long and painful search for a software development manager and thought we were successful filling the position.
The person that we hired possesses all of the qualifications and experience required to be successful, is being productive and is doing a good job from a technical perspective.
The problem is that the hiring manager who is the VP of development is not getting along with him and says there’s no chemistry between the new manager, himself and the team.
The new employee has been approached about this issue from the VP and does not seem open to change. Our VP is requesting that we let him go.
What other options can we explore to get everyone on the same page?
A. First let me remind you that you were successful filling the position by selecting a candidate that met your technical qualifications and experience.
But that is only part of the equation of the selection process. Before you embark on a recruiting project for any position, it is very important to know your company culture and understand who is going to be the best fit by matching the hard skills and technical requirements with the soft skills, personality traits, communication style, friendliness and optimism.
Soft skills complement hard skills. It sounds like in your case the lack of soft skills is showing its ugly head and cannot be ignored. Sixty to 90 days is usually a fair amount of time to assess if there is a good match for both parties. Do you have an on-boarding process in place for all new hires? Companies who do have a 75 percent success ratio during the transition phase. On-boarding is the process of interviewing, hiring, orienting and successfully integrating new hires into an organization’s culture.
If you’ve already counseled and coached your software development manager about the issues and he is not willing to make some changes, then it is probably in everyone’s best interest to terminate his employment before the 90-day probationary period expires.
Q. I’m a professional project manager with 15 years of experience in the gaming industry.
Last week I accepted a project manager position for a successful company in the Bay Area. I received a generous base salary, 20 percent bonus, 401(k) plan with $1 for $1 matching, 100 percent paid benefits and four weeks vacation. I was thrilled and made a commitment to start in two weeks.
Soon after accepting this position I received another offer from my dream company. It is the job I’ve always wanted. The compensation package is much lower than the first offer. I’m very torn between the offers. Should I be conservative and go for offer No. 1 or live my dream and accept offer No. 2?
A. You are so lucky to have two offers in your pocket for positions.
Your decision needs to be carefully thought out. The following is a list of elements to consider when making an employment decision. Take the time to answer each question:
Are you comfortable with the corporate culture and work environment? Is the commute tolerable and are there travel requirements?
Is there room for career and professional growth? Is the company and industry poised for growth?
Will you be challenged? Will you have decision-making autonomy?
Will you have the freedom to implement ideas and affect change?
As you make your selection, don’t be lured by the external beauty. Go deeper and explore the hidden values of the company culture and potential for growth.
•••
Jennifer Laxton is a senior partner with Executive Search Associates in Santa Rosa, www.esa.com. ESA is an executive search and consulting company. You can reach her at 707-525-1010 ext. 101 or jklaxton@esa.com. If you have questions with regards to your situation, send an e-mail to dearjen@esa.com.
———-
Copyright 2008 - North Bay Business Journal
427 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: 707-521-5270 - Fax: 707-521-5269
