Oct 24, 2017
Guest Speaker, David Bolten, puts a modern twist on the joel test. The purpose of Precision Sourcing is to Help Talent Achieve. Events have become a key part of the Precision Sourcing strategy and are a great way for us to give back to the niche markets we recruit in. From this ethos ‘Code Chiefs” was born and the very first Code Chiefs event kicked off on Friday 28th July at Facebook’s office in Sydney.
‘Code Chiefs’ aims to bring together leaders in the Software Development Market to collaborate, sharing challenges, successes and knowledge whilst grabbing a drink and meeting new people.
The first guest speaker we were lucky enough to enjoy was David Bolton – Head of Engineering & Customer Technology at WooliesX.
David covered his “own highly irresponsible, sloppy test to rate the quality of a digital organisation”. With 12 defined steps David bases the initial thinking on the iconic ‘Joel Test’ which involves the 12 steps to better code written by Joel Spolsky many years ago.
Instead of giving you a run by run replay of what Dave presented I thought it would be fitting to take a few of the points he made and explain in my own experience the importance of them;
“4) Does engineering have a seat at the big table” – Absolutely! With the amount of companies founded on technology at present, engineering must be at the table. If not, companies will be left behind.
The need for technology in our lives keeps evolving and we are living in a time where technology and people are becoming one.
Company leaders understand this and there is more emphasis on technology focused strategies being adopted with a simple philosophy… people first.
“7) Are people well managed?” – People are our gold, we enrich each other’s lives every day and If we give people the right tools and support to be creative they flourish and produce exceptional results.
It is becoming more and more important to have a solid and evolving management process because people are the engine of your organisation and your organisation is not the only one in the world unfortunately. Good people are in demand so it is your responsibility to keep them engaged so that your business can flourish.
In the tech space, it is becoming harder and harder to stay ahead of the game, people want more flexibility, better offices, new technology, exciting projects and reward for their hard work. If you can’t provide that then you have lost them at hello.
This can be hard for companies so it is important to choose the right leaders to advise you on the best strategies for engaging with your talent which takes me on to Dave’s next point.
“8) Do you have a clear recruiting strategy?” – Dave spoke in detail about the importance of engaging a proven and specialised staffing partner (Thanks Dave!).
The right recruitment partners should be taking the time to understand your business and the challenges that you are facing so that they can bring the right people on board to help you overcome them.
We can help you find out more about the market and what other companies are doing to retain staff and advise you on how to run more effective hiring processes, along with running cool events like “Code Chiefs” to bring people together, share knowledge and grow.
To finish off here are a few books that Dave recommends having a look at 😊
What do you think of this new modern approach to the Joel test?
If you are interested in speaking or attending the next Precision Sourcing ‘Code Chiefs” event then get in touch with me via cameron@precisionsourcing.foundrydigital.com.au
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