SXSW Hiring in Turbulent Times FTW

1. HIRING & GETTING HIRED
IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Quick, Actionable Approaches to improving Hiring & Getting Hired
Amy Jiménez Márquez | Bibiana Nunes | Russ Unger

2. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 2
Design Director at Compass,
publisher of Boxes & Arrows. Focus
on design leadership, mentorship,
and information architecture.
@amymarquez
Independent design consultant in
Mexico City, focused on qualitative
research, information architecture
and service design.
@bibinex
Chief Experience Of
fi
cer at
IntelliBridge, author of a book or
two you might know of, and focuses
on helping to build leaders of
leaders.
Bibiana Nunes Russ Unger
Amy Jiménez Márquez
Howdy!

3. Hiring is Hard Work
• Hiring new teammates introduces challenges
when the labor market is tight(er)
• Clear communication & consistency can focus
your process and bring in the right candidates
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 3
• Identifying a new role introduces challenges
when you need to
fi
lter out the noise from the
signal
• Asking the right questions and knowing what
you want out of the role will increase your
chances of landing the job you want
Find a (New) Job is Hard Work
Why we’re here

4. SLIDE # 4
YOU ARE HERE
Exposition
The Hiring Process
Performance
Pro
fi
les; Jobs &
Roles Pro
fi
les
Workshop
How-To
Activities!
Share Out
Interview Guides &
Organization
Assessment Questions
Interviewing Rehearsal
Finished!
Today’s Agenda
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW

5. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 5
“
Like product or project management, diving
right in can slow the system down and/or throw
it off track.
Proper planning for hiring and onboarding can
bring about something much more
fl
uid and
more productive for employees & teams.
We have to slow down to speed up.

6. INTENTIONALLY BLANK - RUSS

7. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 7
<Insert daunting music>
The Hiring Process

8. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Recruiter
Phone screen
Various
More interviews,
portfolio presentation,
whiteboard exercise
Recruiter
Offer &
negotiation
Company
Form email
welcoming you
on your
fi
rst
day
Job Seeker
Applies
Various
1:1
Interviews
Candidate
What’s
happening?
Scheduler
Sets up
time
Job Seeker
What’s
happening?
Job Seeker
Paperwork
galore
Job Seeker
Resign from
current job
Company
Silence…
Typical process?

9. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Recruiter
Phone screen
Various
More interviews,
portfolio presentation,
whiteboard exercise
Recruiter
Offer &
negotiation
Company
Form email
welcoming you
on your
fi
rst
day
Job Seeker
Applies
Various
1:1
Interviews
Candidate
What’s
happening?
Scheduler
Sets up
time
Job Seeker
What’s
happening?
Job Seeker
Paperwork
galore
Job Seeker
Resign from
current job
Company
Silence…
There has to be a better way!

10. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 10
Performance Pro
fi
les
and
Jobs & Roles Pro
fi
les

11. Send to HR
Replace
“Company
Name”
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Search for
“Job Title”
Find one
close to yours
Copy / Paste
KIDDING, OF COURSE!
(NO ONE DOES THIS, RIGHT?)
How To: Write a Job Description

12. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 12
“
If you want to hire superior people,
fi
rst de
fi
ne
superior performance. You must get everyone
to agree to what the person taking the job
needs to do to be successful, not what the
person needs to have in terms of skills.
Lou Adler, Author of “Hire with Your Head”

13. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
SLIDE # 13
Ref: Lou Adler - https://www.ere.net/performance-profiles-the-key-to-hiring-the-best/
The Person
1. BS degree
2. 2 - 4 years sales experience
3. Industry background required
4. Product knowledge essential
5. Strong interpersonal skills
6. Good solution selling skills
The Job
1. Achieve quota within 90 days
2. Obtain 20% new customers/
month
3. Conduct thorough needs
analysis
4. Coordinate proposals with
engineering
Job Descriptions vs Performance Profiles
IMAGE: LIFTOFF! - CHRIS AVORE & RUSS UNGER - 2020

14. SLIDE # 14
IMAGE: LIFTOFF! - CHRIS AVORE & RUSS UNGER - 2020

15. The Performance Profile Workshop
A Starter Framework For Creating Performance Profiles
• Why did they resign? (5 minutes)
• Why would they get
fi
red? (5 minutes)
• Why did they get promoted? (5 minutes)
• Vote / prioritize the top reasons why people would get promoted. (5 minutes)
• Write detailed descriptions of the top 5 reasons for promotion. (30-60 minutes)
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 15

16. Timing Task Notes
15 minutes Introductions / Welcomes High-level overview of the agenda
and what’s happening in the
workshop.
10 minutes Activity
Why would a new hire quit?
10 minutes Activity
Why would a new hire get
fi
red?
10 minutes Activity
Why would a new hire get
promoted?
10 minutes Exercise
Vote / Prioritize the top reasons why
people in the roles were promoted.
Dot vote all the reasons a person
would get promoted
15 minutes Discussion
Explore and validate top 5 reasons
someone would be promoted.
30 minutes Activity
Write detailed descriptions of the
top 5 reasons people were
promoted. Each reason should
transition to an objective.
Think of this in the form of position
objectives. It’s ok to combine reasons
that didn’t make the top 5 if there is
overlap.
Sample Performance Profile Workshop Agenda

17. Sample Performance Profile Objective
Objective
• Participate in the planning and leading of ethical user research.
• Seek opportunities to grow and expand the research knowledge of the UX team, and the
teams of our client partners.
• Clearly articulate and promote user-centered methods to teammates and client partners.
• Incorporated research
fi
ndings into an easily understood report.
• Provide actionable next steps based upon insights gained from user research.
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 17
You will participate or lead in research for every project -- internal or external --
that you work on to help drive a user-centered focus for our partners.

18. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 18
Now for job seekers!

19. The Jobs & Roles Profile Workshop
A Starter Framework For Creating YOUR Job Profiles for Identifying Companies & Roles
•
Why would I resign? (5 minutes)
•
Why would I stay? (5 minutes)
•
What do I expect to accomplish for myself through this job? (make a list) (5 minutes)
•
Pick top 3 things you expect to accomplish (5 minutes)
•
Write detailed descriptions for these 3 things (10 minutes)
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 19

20. Timing Task Notes
15 minutes Introductions / Welcomes (Optional) You can do this with someone who is
going through the same process, or a
mentor
10 minutes Activity
Why would I quit a new job?
10 minutes Activity
Why would I stay?
10 minutes Activity
What do I expect to accomplish for
myself through this job?
10 minutes Exercise
Prioritize the top 3 things you expect
to accomplish
15 minutes Discussion
Discuss with your working partner
your expectations for this job
This is a chance to articulate and put
into words what goes around in your
head
30 minutes Activity
Write detailed descriptions for each
of your expectations
Sample Jobs & Roles Profile Workshop Agenda

21. Sample Jobs & Roles Objective
Objective
• Conduct usability testing for every sprint cycle
• Have opportunities for a promotion
• Have budget to educate myself through courses, conferences
• Provide the product teams with relevant knowledge
• Lead research projects from conception to execution
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 21
Grow in my
fi
eld through participating in different research projects

22. ACTIVITY
Create Your Performance Profile
OR
Create Your Jobs & Roles Profile
Share your work with the class (time permitting)
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 22

23. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 23
ACTIVITY

24. 1 2 3
Let’s Help Each Other Out!
Share Your Objectives & Your Job Company Profiles
COMPANY NAME SLIDE # 24
Go to the Internet!
Choose if your team
were hiring manager or
job seekers.
Submit Content
Share your Objective &
Interview Guide or your
Job/Role Pro
fi
le &
Organization Questions
Review & Learn
See what others have
created and use that as a
springboard to creating
your own Performance
Pro
fi
les, Interview
Guides, Interview
Questions, and
Assessments.
https://linktr.ee/sxswhiring

25. Interview Guides
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 25

26. A Good Interview Guide…
• Provides a consistent framework for interviewing
• Aligns interview questions to Performance Pro
fi
le objectives
• Provides insight into strong answers and warning signs.
• Demonstrates to a candidate the attention to detail they can expect from you.
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 26

27. SLIDE # 27
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Remember the Performance Profile Example?
QUESTION 1:
How have you determined the best research approach and methods that allow clients to
also learn and grow their capability?

28. SLIDE # 28
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
QUESTION 1:
How have you determined the best research approach and methods that allow clients to
also learn and grow their capability?

29. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 29
Seeking Guide

30. A Good Seeking Guide…
• Provides a consistent framework for interviewing
• Aligns interview questions to Performance Pro
fi
le objectives
• Provides insight into strong answers and warning signs.
• Shows your employer/manager/etc. that you have clarity about what you’re looking for.
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 30

31. SLIDE # 31
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW
Remember the Performance Profile Example?
QUESTION 1:
As my manager, how will you grow and develop me and my career in your team?

32. Good signs
• Able to articulate speci
fi
c activities expected
• Provides clear objectives and goals expected to achieve
• Knows why this position is important to accomplish
strategic company goals
• Plenty of opportunities to grow in the research
fi
eld
• Clear differentiation between perks and culture
• Strong schedule boundaries
• My hiring manager is able to mentor me into the role
Warnings
• Provides answers in a generalizations, or abstract
examples
• Does not have a clear career path for this position
• Doesn't have exposure to the kind of work I want to do
• Refers to perks when asked about culture
• Focuses on tools instead of process
• No previous experience conducting research or
managing people in the
fi
eld of research.
SLIDE # 32
QUESTION 1:
As my manager, how will you grow and develop me and my career in your team?

33. ACTIVITY
Create Your Interview Guide
OR
Create Your Seeking Guide
Share your work with the class (time permitting)
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 33

34. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 34
ACTIVITY

35. 1 2 3
Let’s Help Each Other Out!
Share Your Objectives & Your Job Company Profiles
COMPANY NAME SLIDE # 35
Go to the Internet!
Choose if your team
were hiring manager or
job seekers.
Submit Content
Share your Objective &
Interview Guide or your
Job/Role Pro
fi
le &
Organization Questions
Review & Learn
See what others have
created and use that as a
springboard to creating
your own Performance
Pro
fi
les, Interview
Guides, Interview
Questions, and
Assessments.
https://linktr.ee/sxswhiring

36. Interviewing Rehearsal:
Practice What We’ve
Learned!
HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 36

37. HIRING & GETTING HIRED IN TURBULENT TIMES FTW SLIDE # 37
IMAGE: LIFTOFF! - CHRIS AVORE & RUSS UNGER - 2020

38. Amy Jiménez Márquez | Bibiana Nunes | Russ Unger
Please leave your feedback!
https://linktr.ee/sxswhiring