HR Wizardry

1. HR Wizardry GDC 2005 Roundtable Mark Kluchky HR Manager BioWare Corp.

2. Attendance • Session 1 had approximately 50 attendees. • Session 2 had approximately 20 attendees. • Company sizes of attendees ranged from small 10 member studios to large multi-location organizations. • Most folks were from the business side but not necessarily specifically from Human Resources.

3. HR Wizardry-Roundtable agenda The following topics were covered with approximately the same amount of time dedicated to each topic. • Recruiting the best in the face of cut throat competition • Managing outsourcing • Quality of life issues (no bashing of companies) • Managing performance in a production environment • Other issues and challenges? • HR SIG growth

4. Recruiting the best in the face of cut throat competition • Companies are recruiting online through websites, chat rooms, and message boards. • Other recruitment efforts focus on schools, conferences, and employee referrals (with or without a placement bonus). • Recruitment firms are also used, but it is important to work closely with them to identify the correct candidates. • Effective PR for the company was another way of recruiting candidates by getting information about the company out in the public and increasing overall company awareness. • It was noted that to recruit strong candidates a solid job description was required. This assisted in getting the “right” person to apply. • To further assist in getting the right candidate a series of on-line questions can be asked focusing on talent and cultural fit. • When (and if) recruiting from competitors you must be very careful not to damage the existing business relationship. Some people will even ask the candidate to inform their existing employer of their intentions. • When recruiting from competitors you also need to ensure there are no non-compete agreements in effect. • It was discussed that the competition for talent between companies is healthy and the exchange of talent can be a good thing. • Reference checks were also seen as a source for candidates as the contact allows you to introduce yourself and ask about their skillset and possible interest. • Companies should consider recruiting from industries similar to ours, not specifically just the game industry.

5. Managing outsourcing • In deciding when to outsource, the decision is dependent on the task. Is it an ongoing task? Is it “outside” the game (i.e. cutscenes)? Is it something new where you would want to keep the learned knowledge in-house? Is timing an issue? What is the priority of the task? How integrated is the task with the rest of the development team? Is it a port to a different platform? • For Developers, outsourcing may be Publisher directed. • When deciding where in the world to outsource, location wasn’t always an issue, however, some found it useful to have the contractors nearby to facilitate communication and the delivery of a quality product. • Of issue is the fact that the costs must be lower. • One key success factor is to have very specific instructions for the contractors to follow. Provide feedback until the quality is at the level required. • Another is to ensure that the contractors are well supported and monitored. This quickly catches problems that arise and prevents them from having too much of an impact. • An option for outsourcing was to work with ex-employees, especially if they were an expert in that area. • It was recommended that you meet the contractors and tour their offices. While there take the opportunity to train them on your processes. • Provide them with test pieces to better understand their ability to perform the tasks you require of them. • Some people expressed problems with language issues.

6. Quality of life issues The majority of our discussion focused on two key areas: communication and events. Events • Cross project kick-off parties were suggested to help integrate different departmental teams. This “forces” people to meet with other staff members that aren’t part of their usual circle. • Scavenger hunts with teams consisting of varying members to again get different people working together. • A Business Book Club is another way to encourage participation from people in different areas of the company. It also has the benefit of encouraging differing perspectives on how a concept might affect the different components of a company. Communication • It was identified that exclusive information naturally creates exclusive groups. • While people do not like unnecessary meetings, ones which add value are important. Some meetings that were identified as being helpful were: • Weekly meetings to check in with everyone on the team • Company-wide meetings with the goal of distributing information to the whole company • “Bubble” meetings where it is shared how different groups affect one another’s jobs • Personal status update meetings. • Some other suggestions to assist communication or understanding were: • Internal job shadowing • Weekly newsletters • Lunchtime group sessions • Mentorship programs • Organizational structures that cross disciplines.

7. Quality of life issues (cont.) Another area discussed briefly was the need for proper schedules. • Review them as often as possible (catch problems early). • Have a flexible management style and encourage people to bring problems forward as soon as they are identified. • Encourage employees to identify (and know) how long it ACTUALLY takes to complete a task. Analyze existing data for information on time to complete a task. • HR should step up and assist in the promotion of the need to analyze the software process and assist in the analysis of the schedule at critical stages of the project. • The software industry was presented as a model to investigate and learn from with respect to project scheduling.

8. Managing performance in a production environment • It was agreed that it is essential for managers to communicate with their team members. However, review preparation is something that usually occur outside the normal workday. Time needs to be budgeted in the development schedule for the review process. • It was also suggested that reviews be built in to a manger’s job description ensuring accountability. • One review schedule discussed was a 3, 6, 12, and 24 month schedule. • Some companies used quarterly reviews instead of an annual approach. Company size may play a role in the ability to implement this. • Another approach mentioned was a formal annual review with an accompanying midpoint review. • Some companies tied reviews to salary increases and others did not. • A database can be utilized as a method to track completed reviews. • Managers and employees should develop personal growth development plans as well as career-pathing. • It was suggested that a key group size would be ten. Any larger than that and it is difficult to administer reviews effectively. • Leaders need to set the example. They can help promote a culture of open feedback by conducting reviews and providing their direct reports with feedback. • It was also identified as an important consideration that you need to grow your managers’ experiences and abilities as the company grows. • Management by Objectives was also discussed. Employees and Managers meet and set common objectives which are then revisited to measure progress against the agreed objectives. • Companies have to consider why they are implementing or continuing to use certain processes. Are they using a process for “process sake” or is there a benefit to it? For example, a bell curve for review scores may work in a large company, but will not be effective in a smaller one.

9. Other issues and challenges? • Interpersonal Conflict • The smallest number of individuals should deal with the conflict. • One individual mentioned that their company has a “no bullshit” policy where you discuss the issue directly and out in the open. • A key success factor for dealing with interpersonal conflict is for HR to have processes in place for managers to follow. This is especially useful for new managers who have never had the experience of dealing with interpersonal issues from a management perspective. • Non-compete agreements • From a hiring perspective HR needs to check with applicants to see if they have a restrictive covenant in place. If so, you need to ensure that the applicant and your development team understands how that will impact what they can and cannot do. • When developing one for your own company (or reviewing your current clauses) you need to ensure that the clause is not too restrictive. If it is so restrictive that it prevents an employee from finding meaningful related work, a court may disqualify the clause. • Interview process • One company utilizes a two day process where candidates were placed on a project team and their behaviours were observed. • Another company discussed a one day process where an applicant would meet with their manager, co-workers, and general management. • Multiple companies indicated that they used some form of skill testing. • Informal lunch interviews were also used by many companies as part of their interview process. • How to get management to change their views. • Needs to be done incrementally (baby steps). • In getting management to change their viewpoint, you also need to fully understand their perspective on the issue before you can help them understand yours. • Who fulfills HR’s role in the organization? • If done by Leads – may lead to inconsistencies and a fracturing of the corporate culture. • If Ad Hoc – you need to ensure that processes are documented.

10. HR SIG Improvements In an effort to increase the value of the offerings from the HR Special Interest Group we asked attendees for their feedback. • One suggestion was to broaden the scope of the issues that are discussed. • Promote the fact that this SIG is not just for HR, but for anyone who fulfils HR functions. • Have a relevant links page. Become a portal for useful and helpful HR information sources. • Have templates for forms and processes used by HR. • Offer training sessions in support of HR practices.