In Part I we discussed how to leverage Agile values to retain employees during the Great Resignation. Now let’s talk about turning the Great Resignation into an advantage. With 44% of the workforce looking for new opportunities, this is perhaps the best pool in decades from which to draw new talent. To be successful, you’ll need to embrace Agile values in your hiring process. As in Part I, we define Agility as a mindset expressed in a core set of values. Of particular focus in Part II are the values of collaboration, transparency, and fun. Sure, you can tell candidates about many of the great things about your company that we describe in Part I, but why not show them too?

Collaboration

Inevitably, job candidates will ask about your company culture; you should be prepared to highlight the ways your organization collaborates. At EK, most of our internal initiatives are driven by small groups collectively working through ideas and details using virtual whiteboards and collaborative document creation. For example, we have several Communities of Practice formed from the bottom up where we address relevant topics. No one person “owns” these CoPs; instead, ideas are discussed, and an approach is collectively agreed to. Additionally, blogs such as this one are written, critiqued, and edited using Google Docs in real-time. This enables collaborative discussions, which would be slower and more difficult in traditional, waterfall publication pipelines. It’s also worth noting that collaboration often leads to consensus, another core Agile value. Together, these characteristics lead to a greater sense of ownership and job satisfaction. When interviewing candidates, discuss collaborative opportunities where your candidates might enjoy contributing in a non-hierarchical manner.

Secondly, don’t just tell candidates about how collaborative you are; show them. At Enterprise Knowledge (EK), many of our roles require strong facilitation skills. Therefore, one of our commonly used interview formats requires the candidate to facilitate a discussion with a role-playing product team in a real-world scenario. Our facilitation interviews aren’t designed with tricks and traps; rather, our interviewers actively seek to produce a collaborative artifact by the end of the discussion. The best candidates shine in a setting where they are able to effectively collaborate with strangers, and after being hired have often mentioned their positive experience getting a feel for how they will work with their future colleagues.

Transparency

Transparency throughout the hiring process is crucial to attracting talent. You can achieve Agile transparency in hiring by properly setting interview expectations and clearly communicating the interview timeline.

For example, in the above collaborative facilitation interview scenario, EK provides detailed instructions as to what’s expected and specifically what is not expected (e.g. independent preparatory research on the topic, a single “correct” answer, nor a client-ready artifact). Candidates should also be kept abreast of where they currently stand in the process. If you’re still sourcing more applicants, tell them. If the process is going to take several weeks or the timeline is unknown, tell them. And if a candidate is removed from selection, tell them in a timely manner. A company’s hiring process speaks volumes about its character, and transparency is perhaps the most critical element to a positive experience.

Fun

Not all work is fun, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t look for opportunities to inject some excitement into what might otherwise be a monotonous process. In that vein, interviews can also be fun. At EK, we’ve used games like Catch Phrase and even group Lego building activities. It’s important to note that these aren’t just for the sake of fun. In addition to direct applicability to our work where we often incorporate games into the design/pilot phases of our change management strategy engagements, we’re assessing our candidates’ social interaction skills, which are critical for consultants. That said, feedback has shown that these activities are enjoyable for both candidates and interviewers alike.

Conclusion

Interviewing is a two-way process; candidates are interviewing you as well. Given that reality, the best way to attract talent is to show candidates your values rather than just talking about them. In particular, transparency, collaboration, and fun should be woven throughout your recruitment process. If you’re looking for help on how to instill these Agile values in your organization’s culture and undergo an Agile transformation in order to attract and retain top talent, our Agile consultants would love to hear from you!

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The panel will focus on Knowledge Management, current techniques and approaches, how organizations are applying KM to improve organizational efficiencies, and the future of the discipline.

Registration to the event is open, and you can register at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rocky-mountain-sla-8th-annual-mini-conference-tickets-169027747543.

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This is the fourth consecutive year that EK has achieved a place on the Inc. 5000. Of the tens of thousands of companies that have applied to the Inc. 5000 over the years, only a fraction have made the list more than once, let alone four times in a row. In addition to being listed as one of the country’s fastest growing companies, EK was also included again this year on Inc’s list of the best workplaces in the country.

“Our fourth consecutive year on this list is a great achievement for EK, and one that belongs to each member of our growing team” said Zach Wahl, CEO of EK. “What is most important to me is that we’ve successfully sustained our culture of kindness and collaboration as we’ve grown.” 

Joe Hilger, EK COO added, “Our growth means greater depth and breadth of capabilities to serve our clients, continuing to work at the intersection of Knowledge Management, Advanced Technologies, and Enterprise Artificial Intelligence.”

“The 2021 Inc. 5000 list feels like one of the most important rosters of companies ever compiled,” says Scott Omelianuk, editor-in-chief of Inc. “Building one of the fastest-growing companies in America in any year is a remarkable achievement. Building one in the crisis we’ve lived through is just plain amazing. This kind of accomplishment comes with hard work, smart pivots, great leadership, and the help of a whole lot of people.”

About Enterprise Knowledge

Enterprise Knowledge (EK) is a services firm that integrates Knowledge Management, Information Management, Information Technology, and Agile Approaches to deliver comprehensive solutions. Our mission is to form true partnerships with our clients, listening and collaborating to create tailored, practical, and results-oriented solutions that enable them to thrive and adapt to changing needs.

Our core services include strategy, design, and development of Knowledge and Information Management systems, with proven approaches for Taxonomy and Ontology Design, Project Strategy and Road Mapping, Brand and Content Strategy, Change Management and Communication, and Agile Transformation and Facilitation. At the heart of these services, we always focus on working alongside our clients to understand their needs, ensuring we can provide practical and achievable solutions on an iterative, ongoing basis.

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000 Methodology

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to three decimal places. There was one tie on this year’s Inc. 5000.  Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Inc. Media

The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

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