Build Your WordPress Dream Team

WordCamp Ann Arbor 2019 - Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

When it comes time to scale your WordPress business, how do you find and hire the right people? Save yourself time, money, and headaches by streamlining your hiring process to meet designers and developers who have the skills you need and fit your company culture!

A growing business is every entrepreneur’s dream, but keeping up with staffing demands can present a unique challenge. One of the biggest struggles I have faced in scaling my WordPress design and development team is finding the right people!

Hiring the right people is instrumental to successfully scaling your team, but how do you find them? When candidates look good on paper, how do you truly test their skills? How do you determine if they are a good fit for your company culture? And once you have found the right team members, how do you retain them for the long term?

We will talk about:

* Where to look for good people (they could be hiding right under your nose!)
* Vetting potential new hires (they talk the talk, but can they walk?)
* Fostering a company culture that makes people love working for you (once you’ve found them, keep them!)
* Subcontracting to fill staffing gaps

Transcript

1. Build Your Dream Team WordPress
2. !2 Now what? S o y o u a r e r e a d y t o s c a l e …
3. !3 Hiring Expectations vs. Reality W e h i r e d a l o t o f t h e w r o n g p e o p l e b e f o r e w e f i g u r e d o u t h o w t o f i n d t h e r i g h t p e o p l e !
4. !4 The developer who does not play well with others.
5. !5 The designer who loves plugins… maybe a little too much.
6. !6 The developer who looks good on paper, but is awful in practice.
7. !7 • Defining your Company Culture • Vetting potential candidates • Running the gauntlet F i n d i n g t h e R i g h t p e o p l e !
8. !8 Hire for fit first. T h e r e a r e s o m e t h i n g s y o u c a n ’ t t r a i n . Company Culture
9. !9 C a n t h e y w a l k t h e t a l k ? Vetting References Certifications Test tasks
10. !1 0 Training meets testing. C o n t i n u a l l y e v a l u a t e s k i l l s a n d p e r f o r m a n c e . The Gauntlet
11. !1 1 • Hiring within your existing circle • Extending your network • Advertising job openings • Outsourcing W h e r e s h o u l d I b e l o o k i n g ?
12. !1 2 Harnessing the abilities of friends! M i c h a e l & Ta y l o r L e a d D e v e l o p e r & L e a d D e s i g n e r My Dream Team
13. !1 3 K e e p y o u r e f f o r t s f o c u s e d . Now Hiring The wider you cast your net, the more fish you will have to throw back.
14. !1 4 Outsourcing to Fill Gaps • Te m p o r a r y p o s i t i o n s • S u d d e n i n f l u x o f w o r k • U n e x p e c t e d a b s e n c e s o f l o n g - t e r m t e a m m e m b e r s Codeable U s e w e l l - v e t t e d s o u r c e s w h e n o u t s o u r c i n g t o k e e p u p q u a l i t y !
15. !1 5 N e v e r s t o p s e a r c h i n g !
16. @houndstoothmg