Online workteams 101 Building your team Presenter: Brian Goler, VP Marketing, oDesk Moderator: Orie Zaklad, Sr. Marketing Manager, oDesk

Housekeeping Buyer oriented webinar Audio is muted Q&A at the end Use the ‘Questions’ section at the bottom of your GoToWebinar application. Brief survey at the end to collect your feedback Slides available in the Learning Center later today

Buyer oriented webinar

Audio is muted

Q&A at the end

Use the ‘Questions’ section at the bottom of your GoToWebinar application.

Brief survey at the end to collect your feedback

Slides available in the Learning Center later today

Agenda What is an online workteam? A process that works Sourcing: Posting the job Searching for talent Evaluating candidates: Sifting through the candidate queue Initial screening Interviewing The test drive Q&A

What is an online workteam?

A process that works

Sourcing:

Posting the job

Searching for talent

Evaluating candidates:

Sifting through the candidate queue

Initial screening

Interviewing

The test drive

Q&A

Poll

About the oDesk Online Workteam See http://www.odesk.com/w/case_study_odesk

What is an online workteam? A team of people from anywhere in the world, who work together online

A team of people from anywhere in the world, who work together online

Why an online workteam? It’s flexible Cost effective Assign jobs to experts only

It’s flexible

Cost effective

Assign jobs to experts only

What are the challenges? Finding and hiring the right talent Working with someone you’ve never met Managing a remote workteam

Finding and hiring the right talent

Working with someone you’ve never met

Managing a remote workteam

First Principles Good talent is hard to find You’re both buying and selling Hiring the wrong person is a tax you pay everyday

Good talent is hard to find

You’re both buying and selling

Hiring the wrong person is a tax you pay everyday

4 days The median time it takes to hire a provider Use an efficient process to improve the outcome

4 days

The median time it takes to hire a provider

A process that works Post job Invite/ share Email screen Interview/ test drive Source Evaluate Hire

Posting the job Objective: Attract talent Collect screening info Detailed job description Paint the vision Terms and potential duration Deliverables, expectations, examples Action request in the cover letter Use the ‘preferred qualifications’ tool Post job Hire

Objective:

Attract talent

Collect screening info

Detailed job description

Paint the vision

Terms and potential duration

Deliverables, expectations, examples

Action request in the cover letter

Use the ‘preferred qualifications’ tool

The higher the quality of your job description (length of job description and estimated duration) the higher the fill ratio (and # of candidates) Post job Hire

The higher the quality of your job description (length of job description and estimated duration) the higher the fill ratio (and # of candidates)

Job post form My Jobs > Post a Job Post job Hire

My Jobs > Post a Job

Job post form Post job Hire

40% Percentage of providers hired through “provider search” Invite/ share Hire

40%

Percentage of providers hired

through “provider search”

oDesk provider search Over 325,000 providers on oDesk 9 categories Why? You know best who you are looking for The best providers are the busiest Find Providers & Jobs > Find Providers Invite/ share Hire

Over 325,000 providers on oDesk

9 categories

Why?

You know best who you are looking for

The best providers are the busiest

oDesk provider search Search results Invite/ share Hire

What to look for… Self description : Does he describe himself as the person you are looking for? Invite/ share Hire

Self description :

Does he describe himself as the person you are looking for?

What to look for… Skills Are the skills he lists focused on what you are hiring for? Are there many other skills that are irrelevant to your job? Invite/ share Hire

Skills

Are the skills he lists focused on what you are hiring for?

Are there many other skills that are irrelevant to your job?

What to look for… Work history Does his work history match your job requirements? Invite/ share Hire

Work history

Does his work history match your job requirements?

What to look for… Tests and portfolio Invite/ share Hire

Tests and portfolio

Share your job post Invite/ share Hire

Sifting through the candidate queue Objective: narrow down to 8-12 candidates Eliminate templated (cut & paste) applications Use ‘preferred qualifications’ As courtesy to thoughtful candidates, tell them why they were rejected email screen Hire

Objective: narrow down to 8-12 candidates

Eliminate templated (cut & paste) applications

Use ‘preferred qualifications’

As courtesy to thoughtful candidates, tell them why they were rejected

Round 1 – email screen Objective – narrow down to 3-5 finalists How? Over email Identify 8-10 applicants Send the same message to all Questions are a prelude to a real-time conversation Why email screening? Time saver Asynchronous Candidates are motivated to provide information email screen Hire

Objective – narrow down to 3-5 finalists

How?

Over email

Identify 8-10 applicants

Send the same message to all

Questions are a prelude to a real-time conversation

Why email screening?

Time saver

Asynchronous

Candidates are motivated to provide information

Sample email questions “ What experience do you already have building this type of technology?” “ How do you like to interact with your clients? How often do you do builds that we can see and test?” “ What factors will determine the actual amount of time? Where is there risk? Where do you need more info?” “ What's your availability to work on this?” If a provider company: “Which of your team members will be doing the work?” “ What is it about your work that most differentiates you from other providers?” “ What questions do you have for me?” email screen Hire

Round 2 – real-time interview Objective – narrow down to 2-3 great candidates How? Skype Phone Chat Why? Find out if you connect An opportunity to get unscripted answers Probe areas that require additional discussion Interview/ test drive Hire

Objective – narrow down to 2-3 great candidates

How?

Skype

Phone

Chat

Why?

Find out if you connect

An opportunity to get unscripted answers

Probe areas that require additional discussion

The test drive Objective – find the one(s)! How? Hire to team Set a maximum number of hours they can bill Assign the exact same project to your top candidates Why? See the candidates in action - gain full visibility into their work diary An opportunity to see if your working styles are compatible Competence evaluation A small cost that signals to the providers that you value their time Keep the most promising providers Interview/ test drive Hire

Objective – find the one(s)!

How?

Hire to team

Set a maximum number of hours they can bill

Assign the exact same project to your top candidates

Why?

See the candidates in action - gain full visibility into their work diary

An opportunity to see if your working styles are compatible

Competence evaluation

A small cost that signals to the providers that you value their time

Keep the most promising providers

Sample test projects Analysts: Analyze a data sample and present their findings Software developers: Port a small open-source program from one language to another Customer service/support reps: Assign 3 support tickets to candidates and listen in on their phone conversation or chat with the customers Interview/ test drive Hire

Analysts:

Analyze a data sample and present their findings

Software developers:

Port a small open-source program from one language to another

Customer service/support reps:

Assign 3 support tickets to candidates and listen in on their phone conversation or chat with the customers

Hire Congratulations! Summary of this presentation could be found at the oDesk blog: Hire a Better Online Team in Less Time, Part 1: http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/08/hire-a-better-online-team-in-less-time-part-1/ Hire a Better Online Team in Less Time, Part 2: http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/08/hire-a-better-online-team-in-less-time-part-2/ To get started, sign up at www.odesk.com Check out the oDesk Learning Center: http://www.odesk.com/help/help/learning-center/learning_center_buyers For help, contact Customer Support: http://www.odesk.com/help/ticket Hire

Congratulations!

Summary of this presentation could be found at the oDesk blog:

Hire a Better Online Team in Less Time, Part 1: http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/08/hire-a-better-online-team-in-less-time-part-1/

Hire a Better Online Team in Less Time, Part 2: http://www.odesk.com/blog/2009/08/hire-a-better-online-team-in-less-time-part-2/

To get started, sign up at www.odesk.com

Check out the oDesk Learning Center: http://www.odesk.com/help/help/learning-center/learning_center_buyers

For help, contact Customer Support: http://www.odesk.com/help/ticket