Finding & RetainingTop Drupal Talent

By: Dave Terry

Dave TerryPartner

@Mediacurrent

● Hired & interviewed hundreds of people at various skill and experience levels

● Lover of all things related to sales, marketing, and culture

● Partner/Owner at Mediacurrent for 7+ years (40+ person distributed team)

● Primary organizer of DcATL & ADUG since 2008

● Drupal/OSS evangelist

Background

Problem We’re Trying to Solve

“The demand for Drupal experts continues to be much larger than the supply. It limits the adoption of Drupal by our

customers, the growth of our partners, as well as our own ability to hire Drupal talent”

Dries Buytaert(January 4, 2011 blog post)

Tip #3Define the Job, Not the Person

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Create a Defined Process

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Plan

RecruitSelection

What Does Your Top Talent Look Like Now? Culture Characteristics

We Look For

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Supportive

Positive

Integrity

Results-focused

Reliable

Driven

Boring

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Notice the very generic description

Skills are just laundry listed

DifferentiateHow will this person fit into the growth of the company?

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Highlight the benefits of what your company offers

Tip #2Become an Employer and Culture of Choice

(Hint: Prevention is Your Best Medicine)

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How Do You Define Your Culture?1. Who We Hire

2. Accountability & Trust

3. Professional Growth and Development

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Examples of Professional Development and Personal Growth...

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● Industry Conferences (Dreamforce, SHRM, Connections, ConvergeSE, etc)

● Certifications (Agile PM)

● Leadership Committee (AiMA, TAG)

● Development Contrib Time

● Responsive web design time / research

● Time for Personal Brand

● Code Sprints

● Android App Development

● Research Time

● Presentations/blogging

● Drupalcamps/Summits

#1 Reason People Leave or StayRelationship with Direct Manager/Leadership Networking

Hiring: Capability Should Trump

Proximity

Tip #1Utilize Referral-based Networking

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Wish I Knew What This Was

Referral-based Networking● User Groups (Meetup.com)

● LinkedIn Job Postings (social media)

● Conferences or trade shows

● Online discussion groups

● Employee Referral Bonus

● Industry contacts (company e-newsletter)

● Alumni Groups

● University Career Centers

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Thank You!Questions?

Dave.Terry@Mediacurrent.com

@Mediacurrent Mediacurrent.com

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