Welcome to the first blog in our new series: Demystifying IT. This series is designed to give Hiring Managers and internal recruiters an insight into what to look for when interviewing IT candidates, and to equip them with the knowledge they need to make the right hiring decisions. Each episode will cover different roles and aspects of the IT industry, discussing a broad range of topics that will give you the inside track when it comes to recruiting new employees.
Project Management Explained
The first episode of this series covers Project Management, with insights from two highly experienced professionals in the field: James Grieve, General Manager of Project Delivery at ASB, and Nigel Ellis, a contractor with over 20 years of experience in this space.
Watch the video below to find out what you need to know as a Hiring Manager or Internal Recruiter if you’re looking to recruit Project Managers in IT, thanks to our Project Management experts James Grieve and Nigel Ellis.
Chapter 1 – “If you’re not a Project Manager, the best advice is to get expert help.”
Do you know what skills and traits you should be looking for in a Project Manager? In this section James Grieve gives his advice on how a hiring manager or recruiter should approach an interview with a Project Manager. His advice is to take someone who understands the role into the interview with you; this way you can discover whether the candidate will be a good fit into the company and your colleague can determine their skill and knowledge of the industry.
Chapter 2 – “If you don’t have an expert on hand this is what you need to look for…”
For those of you that don’t have an expert to assist you in this process, Nigel and James identify the key stages of Project Management. It’s important for you to question the subject on their knowledge of these stages in order to gain an insight into their effectiveness in the role.
The topics discussed in this chapter include: defining scope, risk management, planning, working to a timeline, how Project Managers utilise people and lastly, has there really been a change in Project Management?
Chapter 3 – “It’s also helpful that the candidate understands the following:”
In this section you’ll learn some of the other things you should question a candidate on in relation to Project Management.
- Chapter 3.1 – Understanding the difference between a Project Manager and a Programme Manager.
- Chapter 3.2 – Which methodologies have come to prominence over the last few years?
Chapter 4 – “Although Project Management hasn’t significantly changed, it’s important to be aware of potential changes.”
The final section of this learning experience covers knowledge that both you, if you aim to continue hiring Project Managers in the future, and the candidate, should know. In this chapter, both James and Nigel discuss the future of Project Management and the potential impact that new technologies may have.
- Chapter 4.1 – Emerging and new technologies.
We’d like to thank James and Nigel for being a part of this series, and for sharing their valuable insights on the Project Management space.
Further episodes in this series will break down other roles in the IT industry. If you would like to share your knowledge on any roles in the IT sector and would like to be featured in this blog series, feel free to get in touch.