This document discusses ageism faced by older technical services workers. It begins by providing context about the recruiter's experience working with technical workers over 50 years old. It then outlines symptoms of ageism encountered during hiring like positive early interviews but silence after an in-person meeting reveals age. Underlying concerns of hiring teams are listed, like cultural fit, health costs, and flexibility. Solutions are presented such as addressing concerns preemptively, emphasizing experience benefits, and over-communicating. Success stories from older candidates who were indispensable and earned trust are shared.
Anna Denton-Jones from Refreshing Law Limited opened the talks introducing our topic for the last HR Insights session of 2019: Neurodiversity in the Workplace. Her presentation covers the need for reasonable adjustments and appropriate training to overcome stigmas & cliches about neurominorities. She also provided real examples on what employment law says on the topic.
This document summarizes a presentation on neurodiversity in the workplace. It discusses the background and motivation for the research study, which was funded by Acas to examine how to better integrate neurodivergent individuals into mainstream employment. The study included interviews with experts and case studies of employers with good supportive practices. Key recommendations included reviewing recruitment and training processes, raising awareness of neurodiversity, encouraging disclosure to provide appropriate support, and focusing on maximizing individual productivity. Limitations of the study were its scope and the changing workplace environment since the 2016 research.
Now that you know how to plan for and construct bullet-proof usability script, take your experience to the next level - learn how to be an effective moderator!
Two talented graphic recorders joined us at Content Marketing World 2014. See their amazing work on the following pages. Each graphic recording was done on site, with Kelly and Johnine each listening and recording their respective sessions in real time.
Many marketers are banging their heads against the wall
wondering why influencers won’t return their emails or
promote their programs. The reason? Small mistakes can often have a big impact.
To help make your influencer marketing a winner, we have tapped 15 top marketing influencers for reasons they've not responded to a request and included 25 ways to help you win.
Content Marketing as a Profit Center #MPB2B 2016Joe Pulizzi
Joe Pulizzi's presentation at the MarketingProfs B2B conference in Boston. Presentation covers how to build a subscriber base that a marketing department can actually drive direct revenues from.
This document provides guidance on how to prepare for and shine in a technology due diligence (Tech DD) evaluation. It discusses what a Tech DD is, how the scope may differ based on a startup's stage, and typical areas of focus like technology leadership, architecture, and processes. The document emphasizes the importance of transparency, being proactive in addressing issues, and maintaining high standards ongoing. It also provides tips for preparing like understanding investor expectations, documenting key areas, and considering a "dry run" health check in advance of a major funding round.
Anna Denton-Jones from Refreshing Law Limited opened the talks introducing our topic for the last HR Insights session of 2019: Neurodiversity in the Workplace. Her presentation covers the need for reasonable adjustments and appropriate training to overcome stigmas & cliches about neurominorities. She also provided real examples on what employment law says on the topic.
This document summarizes a presentation on neurodiversity in the workplace. It discusses the background and motivation for the research study, which was funded by Acas to examine how to better integrate neurodivergent individuals into mainstream employment. The study included interviews with experts and case studies of employers with good supportive practices. Key recommendations included reviewing recruitment and training processes, raising awareness of neurodiversity, encouraging disclosure to provide appropriate support, and focusing on maximizing individual productivity. Limitations of the study were its scope and the changing workplace environment since the 2016 research.
Now that you know how to plan for and construct bullet-proof usability script, take your experience to the next level - learn how to be an effective moderator!
Two talented graphic recorders joined us at Content Marketing World 2014. See their amazing work on the following pages. Each graphic recording was done on site, with Kelly and Johnine each listening and recording their respective sessions in real time.
Many marketers are banging their heads against the wall
wondering why influencers won’t return their emails or
promote their programs. The reason? Small mistakes can often have a big impact.
To help make your influencer marketing a winner, we have tapped 15 top marketing influencers for reasons they've not responded to a request and included 25 ways to help you win.
Content Marketing as a Profit Center #MPB2B 2016Joe Pulizzi
Joe Pulizzi's presentation at the MarketingProfs B2B conference in Boston. Presentation covers how to build a subscriber base that a marketing department can actually drive direct revenues from.
This document provides guidance on how to prepare for and shine in a technology due diligence (Tech DD) evaluation. It discusses what a Tech DD is, how the scope may differ based on a startup's stage, and typical areas of focus like technology leadership, architecture, and processes. The document emphasizes the importance of transparency, being proactive in addressing issues, and maintaining high standards ongoing. It also provides tips for preparing like understanding investor expectations, documenting key areas, and considering a "dry run" health check in advance of a major funding round.
Lviv PMDay 2016 S Анна Мамаєва: Sharing Lessons LearnedLviv Startup Club
Lessons learned are useful project management information that organizations should retain for future use. However, lessons learned are often not captured well and effective communication of lessons is challenging. To address this, lessons learned should be captured throughout a project's lifecycle rather than just at the end. They must also be easily searchable and applicable to familiar situations to encourage adoption. Regular retrospective meetings can help capture lessons learned as a common practice.
This document provides tips for designing innovation projects like control systems by defining goals, metrics, and resources. It discusses managing risk through parallel approaches to balance speed and risk reduction. The document emphasizes thinking outside the box, avoiding assumptions, and periodic successes to maintain stakeholder agreement and engagement. Overall it offers guidance on effectively planning and executing technology development projects.
The document outlines the case method approach to analyzing business cases. It discusses the key steps which include reading the case, analyzing the issues and alternative solutions, selecting a recommended course of action, and preparing a presentation. Examples are provided of how to define the problem, consider objectives and assumptions, develop alternative courses of action, and structure a written case report. The case method aims to simulate real-world business decision making challenges.
A tech due diligence (DD) is an evaluation of a startup's technology, leadership, team, and organization. It identifies assets and risks for investors. The document outlines how to prepare for a DD by addressing issues proactively, setting expectations, and staying organized. It recommends documenting architecture, identifying anti-patterns, and discussing skeletons in the closet with a mentor in preparation. A DD should find the right balance between transparency and reassurance.
The document outlines a presentation on requirements and testing. It discusses the need for good requirements, how to structure requirements using a Test Requirements Hierarchy (TRH), and provides examples of how to construct a TRH for a train ticket application. It also discusses measuring and tracking test progress and coverage using the TRH, and adjusting test strategies based on measurements to meet deadlines.
Useful presentation from Sue Kellaway which focuses on Line Manager recruitment refresher training. It can be delivered in four hours which is great for time pressed Managers!
The document provides an agenda for a DISHA workshop organized by Emertxe Information Technologies in Bangalore. The agenda includes sessions on resume preparation, interview skills training, templates and links, and a question and answer session. It also discusses the types of companies that hire from Emertxe, including MNCs, Indian companies, mid-size companies, startups, and engineering service companies. Reasons why these companies hire include immediate joining, reduced training costs, faster deployment, and professional services. The document also addresses common questions from students and provides tips on resume writing and facing interviews.
The document discusses a research project on how organizations manage expertise. The project uses narrative collection, workshops, and an online survey to understand challenges in expertise management. Over 180 stories have been collected from the project blog. Workshops have been conducted in several countries. The survey has received 132 responses so far, mostly from knowledge management and related fields in public sector, consulting, and education. Preliminary findings suggest expertise is less valued in large public sector organizations and there are regional differences in expertise challenges.
Presented by Jess Orr
We will cover topics including:
A3 Thinking: A Quick Refresher
When to Use an A3 vs. Other Tools
How to Engage Others in the Process
Change Management 101
The Hardest Part: Sustaining the Gains
Hosted by KaiNexus
About the Presenter:
Jess Orr
Jess is a continuous improvement thinker and practitioner with 10+ years experience in a variety of industries, including automotive at Toyota. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and two Six Sigma Black Belt certifications.
In her current role, Jess applies her passion for people and processes to empower her fellow employees to make impactful and sustainable improvements. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. Her website and blog can be found at www.yokotenlearning.com.
This document introduces Lean thinking and the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) method. Lean focuses on maximizing value for the customer while minimizing waste. The benefits of Lean include stability, organizational vitality, and respect for people. PDSA is Lean's version of the scientific method for testing changes by planning a change, doing it, studying the results, and acting on what is learned. The document provides details on how to structure each component of a PDSA cycle, including defining the problem, setting goals, analyzing root causes, developing countermeasures, experimenting, studying outcomes, and adjusting for continuous improvement.
The document provides information about the NTU Consulting Club, including its core values, membership activities and structure. The club aims to cultivate problem solving, leadership and excellence through courses teaching consulting methodology, workshops on career skills, and mock, practical and intensive projects. Membership is divided into full access and audit levels, with full access requiring a weekly time commitment of 3-6 hours for lectures and workshops plus 8-10 hours for project team meetings. Recruitment involves an online application, group interview, personal interview and offer stages. The board consists of 8 members from a variety of majors and internship experiences. Contact details are provided at the end.
Internships can be a win-win proposition for both students and employers. To help interested organizations launch successful internship programs, the Columbus Chamber will offer a series of workshops for local business leaders. The Columbus Chamber supports internships because they strengthen the business community.
The Columbus Chamber’s intern consultant, Dave Cofer's introductory workshop provides tips on how to best to leverage interns in your business. This is the ideal session for any organization that is considering the use of interns.
This document provides information about selection tests and assessment centers. It discusses the types of exercises commonly used, including ability and personality tests, group tasks, presentations, interviews, and case studies. The document advises preparing for these exercises by practicing common test types, preparing presentations, learning teamwork and problem-solving skills, and developing strategies for time management and conclusion-drawing. Resources for additional information and help are also listed.
ECD Lecture 1 - challenges of entrepreneurshipgayporkkkkkk
This document summarizes the first lecture of an entrepreneurship course. The lecture covered key definitions related to entrepreneurship, motivations for becoming an entrepreneur, important entrepreneurial attributes, types of risks entrepreneurs face, sources and effects of stress for entrepreneurs, and defining ethical issues entrepreneurs may encounter. Assessment requirements for the course included a business plan, individual and group assignments, and class participation. Recommended reading from entrepreneurship textbooks was also provided.
This document provides an overview of a presentation on transforming inventions into successful innovation projects. The presentation emphasizes communication, clarification, preparation, and inspiration. It recommends designing innovation projects like control systems by defining goals, metrics, stakeholders, and ensuring observability and controllability. The presentation also discusses embracing challenges, avoiding assumptions, managing risks, engaging teams, and creating a sense of urgency. The overall message is that successful innovation requires planning and an enthusiastic approach.
How to be a consultant and run a successful assignment1STOUTSOURCE LTD
This presentation on the consulting process takes you through the main steps in running a consulting job and thus make sure you leave behind happy client - this is from the series of posts at the 1stoutsource Business Forum
Leveraging LinkedIn to Get Yourself Noticed (1/2013)Andrew Davis
LinkedIn is underutilized. It's an amazingly powerful tool for professional networking. Once you master it, the right kinds of opportunities manifest much more readily.
In this slide deck I cover what LinkedIn is, the essentials of the professional Profile, and how to tweak your account settings to restrict who can see what. I then focus on how to get yourself noticed. I conclude with several real-world scenarios -- specific to the audience I spend my days helping, namely technical content developers (tech writers, editors, trainers, and marcom writers) -- detailing how to use LinkedIn for best effect in different contexts.
Note that this presentation is supplemented by ~15 short articles and screenshots, available separately (and for free) from Andrew Davis at andrewd@contentrules.com.
This document provides an overview of Content Rules, Inc., a professional services firm specializing in content development and global content strategy. It details the company's history, services, client list, authoring methodologies, tools, processes, quality control measures, and typical profile of a senior technical writer. Key points include that the company was founded in 1994 and has 15 employees plus over 1,200 consultants, has completed over 2,000 writing projects for over 190 clients across various industries, and offers services including documentation planning, content creation, translation support, and quality assurance.
Lviv PMDay 2016 S Анна Мамаєва: Sharing Lessons LearnedLviv Startup Club
Lessons learned are useful project management information that organizations should retain for future use. However, lessons learned are often not captured well and effective communication of lessons is challenging. To address this, lessons learned should be captured throughout a project's lifecycle rather than just at the end. They must also be easily searchable and applicable to familiar situations to encourage adoption. Regular retrospective meetings can help capture lessons learned as a common practice.
This document provides tips for designing innovation projects like control systems by defining goals, metrics, and resources. It discusses managing risk through parallel approaches to balance speed and risk reduction. The document emphasizes thinking outside the box, avoiding assumptions, and periodic successes to maintain stakeholder agreement and engagement. Overall it offers guidance on effectively planning and executing technology development projects.
The document outlines the case method approach to analyzing business cases. It discusses the key steps which include reading the case, analyzing the issues and alternative solutions, selecting a recommended course of action, and preparing a presentation. Examples are provided of how to define the problem, consider objectives and assumptions, develop alternative courses of action, and structure a written case report. The case method aims to simulate real-world business decision making challenges.
A tech due diligence (DD) is an evaluation of a startup's technology, leadership, team, and organization. It identifies assets and risks for investors. The document outlines how to prepare for a DD by addressing issues proactively, setting expectations, and staying organized. It recommends documenting architecture, identifying anti-patterns, and discussing skeletons in the closet with a mentor in preparation. A DD should find the right balance between transparency and reassurance.
The document outlines a presentation on requirements and testing. It discusses the need for good requirements, how to structure requirements using a Test Requirements Hierarchy (TRH), and provides examples of how to construct a TRH for a train ticket application. It also discusses measuring and tracking test progress and coverage using the TRH, and adjusting test strategies based on measurements to meet deadlines.
Useful presentation from Sue Kellaway which focuses on Line Manager recruitment refresher training. It can be delivered in four hours which is great for time pressed Managers!
The document provides an agenda for a DISHA workshop organized by Emertxe Information Technologies in Bangalore. The agenda includes sessions on resume preparation, interview skills training, templates and links, and a question and answer session. It also discusses the types of companies that hire from Emertxe, including MNCs, Indian companies, mid-size companies, startups, and engineering service companies. Reasons why these companies hire include immediate joining, reduced training costs, faster deployment, and professional services. The document also addresses common questions from students and provides tips on resume writing and facing interviews.
The document discusses a research project on how organizations manage expertise. The project uses narrative collection, workshops, and an online survey to understand challenges in expertise management. Over 180 stories have been collected from the project blog. Workshops have been conducted in several countries. The survey has received 132 responses so far, mostly from knowledge management and related fields in public sector, consulting, and education. Preliminary findings suggest expertise is less valued in large public sector organizations and there are regional differences in expertise challenges.
Presented by Jess Orr
We will cover topics including:
A3 Thinking: A Quick Refresher
When to Use an A3 vs. Other Tools
How to Engage Others in the Process
Change Management 101
The Hardest Part: Sustaining the Gains
Hosted by KaiNexus
About the Presenter:
Jess Orr
Jess is a continuous improvement thinker and practitioner with 10+ years experience in a variety of industries, including automotive at Toyota. She holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Virginia Tech and two Six Sigma Black Belt certifications.
In her current role, Jess applies her passion for people and processes to empower her fellow employees to make impactful and sustainable improvements. You can connect with her on LinkedIn. Her website and blog can be found at www.yokotenlearning.com.
This document introduces Lean thinking and the PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) method. Lean focuses on maximizing value for the customer while minimizing waste. The benefits of Lean include stability, organizational vitality, and respect for people. PDSA is Lean's version of the scientific method for testing changes by planning a change, doing it, studying the results, and acting on what is learned. The document provides details on how to structure each component of a PDSA cycle, including defining the problem, setting goals, analyzing root causes, developing countermeasures, experimenting, studying outcomes, and adjusting for continuous improvement.
The document provides information about the NTU Consulting Club, including its core values, membership activities and structure. The club aims to cultivate problem solving, leadership and excellence through courses teaching consulting methodology, workshops on career skills, and mock, practical and intensive projects. Membership is divided into full access and audit levels, with full access requiring a weekly time commitment of 3-6 hours for lectures and workshops plus 8-10 hours for project team meetings. Recruitment involves an online application, group interview, personal interview and offer stages. The board consists of 8 members from a variety of majors and internship experiences. Contact details are provided at the end.
Internships can be a win-win proposition for both students and employers. To help interested organizations launch successful internship programs, the Columbus Chamber will offer a series of workshops for local business leaders. The Columbus Chamber supports internships because they strengthen the business community.
The Columbus Chamber’s intern consultant, Dave Cofer's introductory workshop provides tips on how to best to leverage interns in your business. This is the ideal session for any organization that is considering the use of interns.
This document provides information about selection tests and assessment centers. It discusses the types of exercises commonly used, including ability and personality tests, group tasks, presentations, interviews, and case studies. The document advises preparing for these exercises by practicing common test types, preparing presentations, learning teamwork and problem-solving skills, and developing strategies for time management and conclusion-drawing. Resources for additional information and help are also listed.
ECD Lecture 1 - challenges of entrepreneurshipgayporkkkkkk
This document summarizes the first lecture of an entrepreneurship course. The lecture covered key definitions related to entrepreneurship, motivations for becoming an entrepreneur, important entrepreneurial attributes, types of risks entrepreneurs face, sources and effects of stress for entrepreneurs, and defining ethical issues entrepreneurs may encounter. Assessment requirements for the course included a business plan, individual and group assignments, and class participation. Recommended reading from entrepreneurship textbooks was also provided.
This document provides an overview of a presentation on transforming inventions into successful innovation projects. The presentation emphasizes communication, clarification, preparation, and inspiration. It recommends designing innovation projects like control systems by defining goals, metrics, stakeholders, and ensuring observability and controllability. The presentation also discusses embracing challenges, avoiding assumptions, managing risks, engaging teams, and creating a sense of urgency. The overall message is that successful innovation requires planning and an enthusiastic approach.
How to be a consultant and run a successful assignment1STOUTSOURCE LTD
This presentation on the consulting process takes you through the main steps in running a consulting job and thus make sure you leave behind happy client - this is from the series of posts at the 1stoutsource Business Forum
Leveraging LinkedIn to Get Yourself Noticed (1/2013)Andrew Davis
LinkedIn is underutilized. It's an amazingly powerful tool for professional networking. Once you master it, the right kinds of opportunities manifest much more readily.
In this slide deck I cover what LinkedIn is, the essentials of the professional Profile, and how to tweak your account settings to restrict who can see what. I then focus on how to get yourself noticed. I conclude with several real-world scenarios -- specific to the audience I spend my days helping, namely technical content developers (tech writers, editors, trainers, and marcom writers) -- detailing how to use LinkedIn for best effect in different contexts.
Note that this presentation is supplemented by ~15 short articles and screenshots, available separately (and for free) from Andrew Davis at andrewd@contentrules.com.
This document provides an overview of Content Rules, Inc., a professional services firm specializing in content development and global content strategy. It details the company's history, services, client list, authoring methodologies, tools, processes, quality control measures, and typical profile of a senior technical writer. Key points include that the company was founded in 1994 and has 15 employees plus over 1,200 consultants, has completed over 2,000 writing projects for over 190 clients across various industries, and offers services including documentation planning, content creation, translation support, and quality assurance.
Becoming the Compelling Candidate (6/2008)Andrew Davis
What can you do to give a company every incentive to hire you? From knowing yourself, to knowing your audience, to proactively convincing management that you are the best match, here are the steps to meet the company's needs so it will meet yours. Not only will you find better work, but you'll get more respect – and better opportunities – faster.
The document discusses signs that it may be time for a worker to consider changing jobs or "trading up" to a new position. It lists potential motivations for seeking a new role such as feeling overworked, unappreciated, or that one's skills have become stale. It cautions that job transitions can fail if a person is burnt out or makes a rushed decision without fully understanding the new role and market demands. The document provides advice on assessing one's options in the current role and market before deciding to change positions and grabbing opportunities by using recruiters, job boards, and networking to facilitate a successful transition.
The document discusses how to effectively work with recruiters to find employment. It defines different types of recruiters and how they are compensated. It provides guidance on when recruiters can and cannot help with your job search. The document outlines best practices for working with recruiters, including being clear about your needs and qualifications, understanding rules of engagement, and negotiating effectively. It emphasizes building strong relationships with recruiters by communicating openly and referring other qualified candidates.
The document provides tips for acing a job interview in 12 sections. It advises the job seeker to know themselves and their strengths, know the audience by researching the company and position, communicate effectively by responding thoughtfully and asking questions, assess whether the job is a good fit, negotiate priorities upfront but without fear, and relax by showing humor and enjoying the process. More information is available from the company listed.
4. My biases and disclaimers, and the
industry’s
Context
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 4
5. Andrew’s Context
‒ Recruits content developers in Silicon
Valley software industry
‒ Works with TWs in their 50s, 60s, and
70s every day
‒ Isn’t a lawyer, doesn’t seek an
adversarial solution
‒ Finds few skilled 20-/30-something
TWs*
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 5
6. Industry’s Context
‒ Engineers control budgets (again)
‒ New technology demands new tech
skills
Most TWs haven’t kept current
‒ HTs seek peers with similar skills,
values, work ethic
‒ HTs value these over experience,
wisdom
12/08/14 TC Dojo Master Session 6
7. When should you suspect you’re facing ageism?
Symptoms
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 7
8. Symptoms
‒ Portfolio reviews and phone interviews
go well, F2F interviews don’t
HT realizes that the candidate is a couple
decades older than their average age
‒ HT goes silent, says “too much
experience”
‒ Feedback boils down to “overqualified”
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 8
10. Underlying Concerns, pt 1
• Cultural fit
• Energy level
• Health
‒ Insurance costs, protected class
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 10
status
• Tolerance for chaos
• Flexibility
‒ Tools, processes, systems *
11. Underlying Concerns, pt 2
• Agile-compatibility
• Onsite, open seating
• “Experience” vs “potential”
• User-compatibility
• Fear of ‘age and treachery’ *
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 11
13. Stay calm, don’t lecture, and act pre-emptively
Addressing Concerns
TC Dojo Open Session 12/08/14 13
14. Addressing HT’s Concerns, pt 1
Preemptively counter HT’s Age-related issues:
• Efficiency
‒ Past experience in similar situations gives OC
sixth sense for what works, what users need,
and the easiest way to achieve goals
• Quality
‒ Past successes and failures help OC understand
and avoid typical pitfalls, recognize the right
solution more readily, and deliver with less
friction
• Focus *
‒ OC can easily tune out noise and apply effort
where it’ll do most good
15. Addressing HT’s Concerns, pt 2
• Pacing
‒ OC’s reluctance to burn out on fire drills
‒ OC can work steadily and sanely, meeting
commitments long-term
• Self-awareness
‒ OC understands own strengths and weaknesses
‒ OC knows when to seek help (or delegate)
‒ OC can accept suboptimal outcomes without blaming
• Frankness
‒ OC is realistic about own limitations, candidly assesses
risks
• Clarity
‒ OC sets clear expectations, won’t overcommit (then
bomb)
• Mentoring
‒ Some HTs want help improving processes; who better
than an OC?
16. Success Stories
OCs get best results when they:
Put HT’s needs first
Don’t lecture, bully w/ their experience
Meet HTs more than half-way
Find ways to become indispensable
Achieve autonomy w/ tools, products
Earn trust
Make HT members look good
Over-communicate
17. Success Stories
What works for you?
Let’s hear how you have resolved – or
been thwarted by – problems related to
ageism.
What have I failed to address?
Are OCs doomed to work only on
temporary assignments? *
18. Techniques
• Anticipate HT concerns, address
them preemptively and in detail
• Show that you keep current w/
technology, are just as productive
• Characterize HT’s goals, discuss
and demonstrate how you’ve
delivered in similar contexts
• Share relevant proof (references,
testimonials, even code)
19. Public Sessions
Questions?
Contact Andrew:
synergistech@gmail.com
C: 650-271-0148
LinkedIn.com/in/synergistech
Editor's Notes
BIO:
Andrew Davis has recruited technical content developers in the SF Bay Area since 1995. He is a former software industry Technical Writer and has a reputation for both understanding and championing the role of content development.
Andrew enjoys helping those who communicate complex information get ahead by recognizing and refining their value to technology companies. He's candid and connected and, just as importantly, he likes to help tech industry workers achieve their goals and achieve independence from intermediaries.
Andrew ran Synergistech Communications during the Internet Gold Rush years and has recently returned to solo recruiting mode. Join him on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/synergistech) to learn more.
Thinking Aloud…
My goals
better matches, more empowerment
My insights
anecdotes, observations, ideas, but nothing researched or proven
Your input
working hypotheses, suggestions, objections
Location
Northern California is expensive
Most local companies want local workers
Result: qualified local TWs aren’t cheap
Age
Most local software industry TWs are 50+, some <70
Most need to work until age 65
Experience
Most TWs have 10+ years’ industry experience
Most are subject-matter experts 1st, toolsmiths/technicians 2nd, and corporate citizens 3rd
Meanwhile…
There _is_ a new generation of local content developers, but in most cases they are degreed software engineers who have been recruited straight from campus and persuaded to write documentation as a means to getting aboard at top-tier companies such as Salesforce, Google, Oracle, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
There are Gen Y workers who write well but identify more with software engineers than OCs do; meet these people through Write The Docs (WTD) meetups (http://www.meetup.com/Write-the-Docs).
Whether this next generation remains in the field, as OCs have done, is an open question.
Ageism is real, but it’s very hard to prove. An adversarial stance, however justified, is always counterproductive.
Also, increasingly, HTs create hybrid job descriptions (“programmer writer”, “content strategist and author”, “developmental editor”), with misaligned and/or opposed roles most candidates can’t prove they can play (and usually don’t want to).
Finally, HTs tend to make choices based on unanimous input; dissenters routinely vote down a hiring choice based on unfounded fears, vaguely relevant past experience, or disagreement about the role’s priorities. And hiring managers, lacking experience and confidence, seldom overrule in favor of a “good enough” choice.
Underlying Concerns of the Hiring Team (HT), pt 1
Older candidate (OC) won’t be comfortable with HT’s culture (open seating, RedBull & vodka, pub crawls after work, nerf wars, snowboarding weekends)
OC won’t have energy level or disposition to work weekends and pull all-nighters
OC will get sick more often, drive up the cost of company’s health insurance coverage, and/or cause legal trouble if things don’t work out and HT lays the OC off
OC won’t be tolerant of HT’s chaos (aka reluctance to plan, schedule, freeze code/GUIs, etc)
OC won’t experiment wholeheartedly with new tools and systems (ie, “failing fast”), or will advocate for expensive, powerful tools (eg FrameMaker, Flare, CMSs) over open-source, simple ones (wikis, WordPress, etc)
Underlying Concerns of the Hiring Team (HT), pt 2
OC won’t be truly “agile” and eagerly wear more than one hat (whether that other hat is marketing, technical support, sales, UX, etc)
OC will be reluctant to work onsite without an office or cube, and won’t contribute spontaneously and synergistically
OC will argue based on experience (and bias), while HT will argue based on (untested) possibility
OC won’t have the same instincts or value system as the product’s users, insisting that users actually read the doc when, perhaps, they’re used to Googling then cutting-and-pasting code samples.
(Maybe) HT fears that “age and treachery will always triumph over youth and skill” – essentially that the OC-HT relationship will turn adversarial because of the cultural differences.
Addressing Employers’ Age-related Concerns
OC may need to anticipate and explain how their work experience will benefit HT and the product, namely:
Efficiency – past experience in similar situations yields a sixth sense for what works, what users need, and the easiest way to achieve goals
Quality – past successes and failures help OC to understand and avoid typical pitfalls, recognize the right solution more readily, and deliver with less friction
Focus – OC can easily tune out noise and apply effort where it’ll do most good
Pacing – reluctance to wear oneself out on fire drills, and work steadily and sanely so all commitments get met over the long-term
Self-awareness – understanding of own strengths and weaknesses, appreciating when to seek help (delegate) and accept suboptimal outcomes without blaming
Frankness – realistic awareness of own limitations, candid assessment of risks
Clarity – ability to set clear expectations and not overcommit (then bomb)
How are Older Candidates different?
In this recruiter’s experience, OCs often offer all the advantages listed on this and the previous slide. However, their motivations often differ from those of the HT in important (and entirely valid) ways:
Lifestyle matters to OCs more than conformity (i.e., preferring offsite work, separation of work and personal time, professional autonomy)
OCs usually lack patience with politics
OCs’ casual/confident attitude can be perceived as disrespect
Appearances matter less to OCs. However, as Caesar’s wife said, “It’s not enough to be virtuous. You must also look virtuous.”
OCs’ EQ (emotional intelligence) is all-important in their management’s eyes; if they mis-prioritize, they break trust and valuable alliances.
OCs often want credit for what they know, and what they can contribute (regardless of whether they do); but HTs don’t like to be lectured.
OCs usually have personal lives and little interest in socializing with colleagues of a younger generation
OCs value “work/life balance”, tire faster (and bounce back more slowly), and are more wary of over-extending themselves
Legal, Professional, Cultural Issues to Explore
Where do you (technical content developers) think the solution might lie? Can you suggest specific legal, social, professional, or similar solutions that are likely to help bridge the divide?
Do you think it best to prove then prosecute ageism, or focus on educating HTs that it is in their interest NOT to ignore this resource? Basically, motivate with fear vs hope?
Are OCs doomed to work only on temporary assignments, with no chance to integrate fully with Gen Y teams or reap the full rewards when those teams succeed?