97 Things Every Project Manager Should Know

Chapter 7. Add Talents, Not Skills, to Your Team

Richard Sheridan

I USED TO HIRE THE WAY EVERYONE IN OUR INDUSTRY HIRED: skills, skills, skills. One day an interview candidate threw cold water in my face, figuratively, and it changed me.

I was looking to add a new hero to my team, someone with years of Microsoft experience. Looking over Bill's resume, I could tell he was perfect for the position. He had over six years of experience in all the relevant skills. If I could hit the right price point, this was going to be easy.

Bill came in for the interview. We talked and I described the projects we had on tap, and what a perfect fit Bill was for this position. I was sure this was going well. Suddenly, I realized I wasn't going to get him. I stopped the interview in mid-stream and asked Bill what had happened. I told him he was perfect for the position, but that I sensed he wasn't coming.

His response was, "Rich, if I wanted to do what I've been doing the last six years, I'd stay where I am. I heard you had some cool, new Java projects coming up and I wanted to work here because I saw it as a chance to learn and grow."

That's when it dawned on me. Hiring by running a "resume versus skills" match is the stupidest way a manager could ever build a team.

You see, my partners and I got into the high-tech industry because we wanted to be at the leading edge of technology. None of us hoped to spend ...