1. Growing a team in the short-term and medium-term. MODULE 8
People & Partners
Growing a team in the short-term and medium-term.
MODULE 8

2. 8
Regardless of your overall goals, you’ll need to build your capacity beyond you. This module focuses on augmenting your team from outsourcing, subcontracting, partnering and building your own team of employees.

3. People & Partners

4. Why grow the team? Provide capabilities outside of your own
Gain back time
Decrease stress
Increase revenue

5. Team Growth Options Contractors Subcontractors/ Partners Outsource
Short-term
Subcontractors/ Partners
Medium/Long-Term; referral opportunities
Outsource
Provider relationship
Staff
Long-term, high commitment

6. Engaging contractors Where to find them? Golden rules
Direct relationships
Recruitment agencies – benefits cash flow
Advertising
Golden rules
Make sure there’s a clear, written scope of works
If using a recruiter, engage in fee conversations with the agency, not the contractor; also insist upon being open book; know the difference between mark-up and margin
Contractors don’t understand fixed fees – expect to get paid for simply showing up

7. Engaging Partners/Subcontractors
Where to find them?
Networking events
Referrals
LinkedIn
Golden rules
Make sure there’s a clear, written scope of works
Make sure payment terms are clearly understood and documented
Ensure payment terms align with your business – i.e. don’t mix fixed fees with day rates, etc.

8. Outsourcing Where to find them? Golden rules Networking events
Referrals
LinkedIn
Online
Golden rules
Make sure there’s a clear, written scope of works
Make sure payment terms are clearly understood and documented – ideally pay on performance
Ensure there’s clear metrics to measure performance
Ensure you can easily exit the contract

9. Top mistakes when growing your team
Contractors
No clear scope
Don’t understand fixed fees – expect to get paid for simply showing up
Subcontractors and Partners
Ownership of the opportunity
Brand and relationship management
Staff
Create to big a gap if you take on people at opposite ends of the experience scale
Outsourcing
You’ve outsourced a problem that you don’t understand!

10. Step 2. Agree salary and benefits
Taking on staff
Step 1. Recruitment
Create a Person Specification: a simple table listing skills and determining their priority using a MoSCoW analysis
Write a Job Description: more focused on the execution of tasks and the experience and expertise required
Determine a Job Marketing Plan: what channels are you going to use to identify potential candidates?
Step 2. Assess
Step 2. Agree salary and benefits
Conservatively define the expected available utilisation and therefore the expected revenue
Don’t overspend! Use a bonus scheme to reduce risk
Determine the return on investment
Assess the risk and opportunity
Step 3. Hire
Use a probationary period and determine your success metrics. Measure at the mid-way point

11. Building your team now Complete the following task:
8.1 Taking your processes and methodology into account, identify your potential team growth requirements, and determine the best options
8.2 Create the necessary materials to support the outcome of task 8.1 i.e. Job Description template, agency contract, etc.