'There are many ways to assess candidates, and all of us recognize resumes and applications don't always tell the full story.'
By Sonia R. Lelii
Dice News Staff | September 2008
Eyefinity is a Web-based business management partner to about 20,000 private practice eyecare providers. Since provider Vision Service Plan (VSP) launched the company in 2000, Eyefinity has been setting its sights on building better business intelligence tools. Vice President of Technology Brian Gegan recently met with Dice News to offer some insight into a hiring manager's point-of-view.
What types of IT technologies is your company currently implementing or plan to install in the next six to 12 months?
Web Services, such as IBM WebSphere, is an area we are continuing to invest in. We are also investing in technologies that help us really understand our customers' behaviors, buying patterns and preferences, so we are aggressively growing our business intelligence capabilities through Cognos and other approaches, including contact relationship management (CRM).
Like many other organizations, we're also seeking improvements in our document and knowledge management abilities. An area that's very interesting involves improving the content and user experience of our Web portals. Today, people have high expectations for rich media on the Web. Consequently, we're evolving our portals to be easier to use as well as more engaging. Fashion differentiates products within the eyewear industry so we need to pique the viewer's interest in our portals and rich media enables us to do that.
What types of IT jobs are you looking to fill in the next six to 12 months?
We're recruiting heavily for Java developers, specifically any that have previous supply chain experience. We also are looking for IT project managers and business analysts. As you can imagine, the more in-house and custom development we do, the more we need quality assurance and testing people. We are also eager to hire more people with Cognos experience.
What are the top challenges your IT operations currently face?
Our biggest challenge involves addressing the talent shortage in our local area (Rancho Cordova, Calif.) Even though the economy is weak, the IT labor market is strong and we face significant competition for capable, experienced employees.
Another challenge we face is the rate of change we're experiencing in technology. You can never count on a sustainable, competitive advantage unless you encourage innovation, growth and adaptability. So we continue to make big investments in training and professional development for our employees. I really encourage continuing education and additional skills development that can be gained through courses, workshops, conferences and certifications. Our business partners have high expectations for IT to readily provide practical and effective answers for business problems, so we have to be on our toes all the time.
Does your company have plans to offshore or outsource?
Currently, we don't have plans to outsource or offshore our IT work. Some organizations have experienced success doing this, but we strongly feel that if we provide leadership that encourages innovation, commitment and a certain amount of risk-taking, we can hold our own in this hyper-competitive market.
Do you find there's a communications disconnect between your IT operations and the business side of your company?
I don't think there is but it can develop very quickly if you're not careful. To successfully manage this area, we have to consistently engage business units in a collaborative and effective manner, and that involves frequent, informal conversations and interactions along with more formal communications through regular project reviews and updates. The onus is on us to make this happen.
How do you approach an interview?
There are several things you want to do. You want to foster a discussion where the candidate can truthfully communicate his or her abilities and experience. Additionally, you want to understand what this candidate is really looking for and if your company offers it, you need to showcase it. For me, the thought process is just as important as the answer, so I prefer to ask leading questions such as: "How do you solve this kind of problem?" and "If you encountered this same type of challenge again, would you try a different approach?" Another question is: "What did you learn from your successes as well as your failures?" The other part of the interview really involves advocating why this candidate should want to join your organization.
In a very competitive labor market, you have to sell the opportunity, the organization and the future, and what this candidate can expect and look forward to. What is this person looking for? Is it more than salary and benefits? Is this person looking for a place to grow? Does this person enjoy working closely within a team environment or being exposed to challenging initiatives that drive personal growth and satisfaction? You have to find out what candidates want and what is important to them. Once you find out and you want this person, you do everything possible to showcase the opportunity in a truthful but compelling manner.
How do you judge a candidate?
There are many ways to assess candidates, and all of us recognize resumes and applications don't always tell the full story. If we need to assess technical skills, then we include our most experienced, technical leads in the interview. This can be labor-intensive but there are no short-cuts to interviewing. We also create opportunities for candidates to examine code, spot bugs and identify modifications, and we score their responses. If they authored code and there are no proprietary restrictions, we may ask them to bring in the code and walk us through it. We are also considering external tools and assessments and may invest more in the future.
Assuming you have a technically competent candidate, you want to make sure the candidate will fit in, that he or she is the right candidate for the job and will mesh with the teams they work with. Long gone are the days when IT people could get by on minimal communication skills. Today, they have to be effective and empathetic communicators to be successful.
What advise would you give someone who is just starting a job search?
Network. Network. Network. They should talk to as many people a possible, take advantage of all the information available about the organization. They should also have a mental list of probing questions that show some level of research and interest. Some of the least successful interviews I have experienced occurred when the candidate didn't do any research on our organization and showed up unprepared and under-informed. They should spend time learning as much as they can and talking to as many knowledgeable people as possible. There are many informational resources available on the Internet and people should use them.
Given the number of hours we spend in the workplace and all that we invest of ourselves, we really owe it to ourselves to be well-prepared and well-informed, so that we make the right decision for both the candidate and our organization.