Certification Magazine - January 2008 - (Page 33)

Every Solstice consultant is responsible for recruiting, as well. This unconventional method of bringing in new talent ensures everyone has a stake in the company’s well-being. This tactic brings both positive and negative results. The latter stem from the fact that standards for compensating recruiting efforts need constant evaluation based on the situation. “What motivates one person to reach into their network and refer a top performer to serve one of our clients does not motivate everyone,” Manthey said. To make sure its consultants have the ability and agility to move fluidly between different positions and respond positively to change, Solstice provides rigorous and realistic training. “The extensiveness of the training may depend on an individual’s background and the role they are in or targeted to fill,” Manthey said. “Many of our onthe-job programs ensure there is a support system in place to mentor and manage the individual. Our consultants are self-starters and are often required to drive their own work effort. To learn more about Solstice’s hiring model, enter ‘agility’ into CertScope, which lists a dozen CertMag articles on the term. “Solstice places a large emphasis on continuing education and certification across all four of our domains: business analysis, technology architecture, project delivery and change management,” Manthey said. “In addition, our consultants demonstrate their expertise in various fields through publications and speaking engagements.” Although Solstice does provide direction for its employees in their careers, it also provides an environment of continuous learning that allows for flexibility in the long term and provides the option of moving across domains. In an industry that is in a continuous state of change, Solstice makes sure its employees are just as progressive. “We don’t have multiple layers of management,” Manthey said. “To keep work interesting, we can’t pigeonhole a person. We provide the flexibility for our people to decide how they want to progress in their career. There are paths for subject-matter experts to increase their responsibility by running and owning projects.” But even the lines down these paths are a little blurred as people maneuver between paths and pursue different tracks at the same time. “For example, we have project managers with PMI certifications who want to continue to utilize their knowledge in a project manager role for our clients,” Manthey said. “On the other hand, we have project managers who have a desire to translate their capabilities to growing our business, focusing less on project-specific work and more on Solstice Consulting as a whole. “As these people progress, their day-to-day activities shift from managing the details of one project to managing several clients and project managers at the account level. At that level, our consultants are able see new opportunities and become part of the sales cycle for securing the new business.” Embracing agility as a hiring model has the potential to cause a paradigm shift in an organization. “In this training model, we are able to assess the coaching that may be necessary to get an individual to where they need to be to represent Solstice Consulting in client delivery.” On-the-job learning has been a model that has worked well for Solstice in managing its IT pros. “Our staff learns by doing,” Manthey said. “In addition to formal training on a specific topic, our people learn through hands-on mentoring programs. We provide junior staff the opportunity to gain on-the-job experience as interns — our internship program grooms the next generation through hands-on experience and real project responsibilities and accountabilities.” In addition to on-the-job training, Solstice strongly encourages personal development via other routes. This is to ensure its IT professionals are well-rounded and capable in every facet of the business. Screaming Agility Embracing agility as a hiring model has the potential to cause a paradigm shift in an organization. INTERFACE continued on page 39 January 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 33 http://www.CertMag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Certification Magazine - January 2008

Certification - January 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Data Stream Tech Careers Academic Connection Dear Techie Virtual Village Making the IT Leap: How to Move Into the Industry Inside Certification Phoning It In: Telecommuting Systems and Networks Engineer Interface Band of Brothers: Why You Should Join an IT Association Ad Index Endtag

Certification Magazine - January 2008

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