johnthorpe
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Homepage: http://www.arraspeople.co.uk
Posts by johnthorpe
Does Size Matter?
Oct 28th
A recent edition of Recruiter magazine (13th October) included an article entitled “Piecing together a staffing dilemma” which investigated whether organisations should pick a super agency or select a group of specialists as they look to staff up for the future.
Overall the arguments fell into the usual entrenched positions with the advocates of the “super agency” pitching savings in costs and time alongside the marketing muscle that their 
size brings to the table. The specialists on the other hand naturally pushed their ability supply high quality candidates through their “intimate knowledge of a sector” and their ability to identify and attract relevant talent.
Whilst the article itself drew no conclusion as to what is best, it indicated that few organisations end up with a single supplier solution. However within the article there were some specific points well made that I wanted to share – especially as Arras People is a specialist agency, supplying what is generally a non-volume specialist skill in the form of Project Management;
- The strengths of a specialist boutique is in its niche branding which may be stronger than the client’s (and /or super agencies) in attracting the right applicants
- Candidates with specialist skills eg. Project Management are more likely to take a call from a specialist rather than a generalist recruiter.
- Many clients feel that a smaller agency is easier to hold to account through the direct relationship
- Small consultancies are as much about the individual as the brand where larger agencies have a significantly more turnover of staff.
- Large agencies are accused of taking a “never mind the quality, feel the width” approach, seeing costs and volumes as the prime concerns of their clients.
- Larger agencies try to be both big and bespoke at the same time
In my own mind the argument basically boils down to devising a strategy that recognises the type of candidates that you are looking to attract and the volumes that you are likely to consume. Ultimately for all organisations the resourcing decision should be driven by the desire to attract the best available talent into their open roles at an acceptable level of cost.
So in the case of recruiting Programme and Project Management (PPM) staff the approach needs to consider;
- Do we view PPM personnel as a general or a specialist resource?
Hopefully the answer is that you see PPM personnel as a specialist resource. So to draw an analogy with how you would shop for other goods and services, would you go to a “supermarket” or a “boutique” to buy specialist goods? - How many PPM practitioners do we recruit per annum (Interim, Contract, Permanent, and Temporary)?
For many organisations the requirement for PPM practitioners over a twelve month period is relatively low when compared to other areas of non-specialist staffing requirements. It is highly unlikely that this volume will impact the pricing that a “super agency” can deliver over a twelve month period for your total recruitment budget if it was excluded!
- How do we access the best talent?
As we saw above the both approaches feel they can attract talent. However if you have identified PPM as a specialist resource the boutique or niche supplier is more likely to have the knowledge and understanding of the marketplace. Attracting talent requires a lot more than just placing adverts (if it was that easy, recruitment agencies wouldn’t exist!) and companies like Arras People make a significant investment in building talent pools upon which they can draw. The key is attracting and tempting talent that is inactive in the market; these are the people who do not look at the general job boards and are certainly invisible to generalist recruiters! Each specialised recruiter has a contact book and network that many super agencies would die for. - What is an acceptable cost for these services?
One of the positives of using a super agency was quoted as; “One real advantage of dealing with a large agency is its competitive rates.” This may be true for volume and non-specialist roles but what happens when the role becomes “hard to fill”? In our experience as a boutique or niche supplier the rates we charge are not significantly different than those charged by super agencies if the role is deemed outside of the norm. A potential hidden premium cost that should always be considered! - What brand image do I want to create in the marketplace?
“People buy people” is a common saying when discussing service provision and it is especially true in the recruitment of specialist resources. In a specialist agency it certainly is about the individuals that work within it – one to one relationships are forged, not just with the client organisation but also with the professionals looking for work within the specialised field. Where you advertise and your recruitment partner has a significant impact on the perception of your brand as an employer with PPM resources especially as many super agents carry low credibility with the professional specialists that you want to attract.
So whatever you require, consider the facts and adopt a strategy that fits your environment. Don’t be lulled into a false sense of security, cost is important to us all, but not at the expense of failing to secure the necessary talent to drive our organisations forward.
Image - sinanyuzakli and used with permission
Professional Practitioners and the Professionalisation of PPM
Jun 29th
The Best Practice Showcase 2010 held recently at Victoria in London provided a lively day of discussion, networking and learning for the Arras People team and the many programme and project personnel who attended. Attracting over 500 delegates, the format of the event was highly interactive and Arras hosted a series of round table discussions during the day on the subject of professionalism as well as running a short survey on the subject.
The aim of the discussion was to explore professionalism and its many aspects in terms of the field of PPM (Programme & Project Management) and with specific reference to the APMs (Association for Project Management) push for professional recognition.
The starting point for the discussion was to explore the views of the individuals involved in the discussion to ascertain their personal views regarding their own status and that of PPM in the wider community. Unsurprisingly the consensus was that the groups saw themselves as professionals and the art of programme and project management as a profession. However there was significantly less confidence that the wider world shared their view, the majority agreeing that it is still seen as an occupation.
The groups further explored the reasons why they saw themselves as professionals and identified many elements that are widely accepted as being indicative of this status. The list included;
- Specialist Skills
- Accreditation
- Accountability
- Responsibility
In summary, we agreed that as individuals the group all possessed levels of applicable knowledge, the know how to apply this knowledge and a commitment to our field of expertise. After further discussion we also agreed that we had some sort of personal code of ethics against which we set our standards of behaviour and also judge others.
Pushing further the point of Accountability and Ethics we discussed the next level of influence which impacts how we operate as professionals, namely our environment. Be this the employer if you are an employee or the company within which you are operating as a contractor; our environment has a significant impact on our professionalism at all levels. The highest impacting element of environment being the rules and regulations which we are requested to adhere to, which may formalise or go against the code of ethics which we personally used to define our own professionalism. As a member of a community we may still have personal freedom in our pursuit of professionalism, though this may well be constrained or influenced. In all probabilities we will also be subject to levels of accountability which we have no control over.
So we have moved from being an individual to being a member of a community, though this may well be a community of one! Our professionalism at this level is still not consistent, nor measurable, as environments A to Z may all define their standards differently.
Taking the issues of standards to the next level we examined the external influencers who look to shape or impact the way programme and project management develops both in the UK and internationally. The list of influencers differs by sector or discipline within PPM, so we kept it simple for the cause of the discussion. In this band we included the APM-Group/OGC, PMI, APM and the IPMA all of whom are relatively well known in the PPM space in the UK. Again this group look to influence our state of professionalism, offering us shrink wrapped knowledge, bodies of knowledge, badges, access to continued professional development and even their own brands of ethics and accountability.
As individuals we may choose to adopt any of these offerings as we see fit, within the context of our own professionalism. Our environment may also influence how we see and interact with these influencers as organisations and markets adopt their standards or cherry pick what they feel is applicable. The wider environment may also impact on us individually, such as the situation caused by Prince2 becoming for many a defacto standard in project management.
Each organisation brings along a brand, theme or flavour of PPM which is aligned to their individual thinking; all of them being aimed at shaping the market with the offer of consistency. Unfortunately though, we are still left in a position where we do not have a singularly recognisable path to become a profession, we may align as individuals and organisations but once again fragmented consistency takes it toll.
To take the discussion forward we looked at the question of consistency in terms of traditionally recognised professions such as Doctors, Dentists and Accountants where this is progressed through the act of formal charter. The major differences that these professional grouping would appear to have over PPM are:
- Public recognition & acceptance
- Practitioners recognition & acceptance
- Acceptance as a regulatory body
- Defined entry criteria for practitioners
- Accepted and publicly accessible disciplinary procedures
- Longevity of the practice
There would appear to be differing methods of implementation such as the GMC which registers doctors to practice medicine in the UK, with the stated purpose of to protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public by ensuring proper standards in the practice of medicine. Accountants meanwhile have six accountancy institutes which operate under Royal Charter which make up a singular body CCAB (Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies).
Whatever the form, these bodies are seen as the monopolistic controller(s) of the individuals who choose to operate within their domain with influence over all matters of professionalism and particularly accountability and ethics.
Ultimately it would seem that if we wish to move on from our state of individual professionalism to that of being a recognised member of a profession, we will have to be willing to give up some of our personal freedoms.
Maybe this is a step too far at this stage for PPM practitioners, though maybe as the domain matures suitable bodies will evolve who can gain the trust and respect of practitioners and the wider population to secure this advancement in the field of programme and project management.
Survey Results
Throughout the day at the Best Practice Showcase 2010 Arras People conducted a mini survey entitled PPM Professional? which questioned practitioners about their views on professionalism. There were 48 respondents and the data was compared against the 2010 Arras People Project Management Benchmark report to check for consistency.
When asked for their primary function the respondent groupings were as follows:
Compared to the 2010 PMBR the demographic for this mini survey has an increase in the percentage of Programme / Project Support practitioners whilst the Project Managers are consistent. In terms of status the number of contractors is down by 10% which may be a reflection of the audience drawn by this kind of event.
When asked about their membership of a professional association they grouped as follows;
This breakdown is again roughly consistent with the PMBR 2010 responses in that of those that are members 59% are associated with the APM, whist PMI has 22%. The numbers of those who are not associated at 44% is 10% lower than the PMBR, which is probably influenced by the narrow respondent group.
*One note of interest is the ongoing confusion regarding membership of the APM where it still appears that some practitioners believe they are members when in fact they are confusing this with their dealings with the APM-Group.
Moving on to the key question of professionalism we asked the respondents to identify how the see themselves, as either practitioners or professionals?
Overall the professionals have the vote with 54%, though as can be seen from the table the more senior the role status the higher the classification as a professional. Programme Managers being the highest group with 71%. This result suggests that respondents see themselves as professional as they accumulate the skills and knowledge required to undertake their assigned roles and climb the career ladder as identified in previous surveys and the PMBR 2010.
We then asked the respondents to identify how the see Project Management, as either an occupation or a profession?
Once again the respondents fell heavily on the side of a profession, with a 80/20 split in favour of Project Management as a profession.
This would suggest that within the group of respondents there is the aspiration to achieve the recognition and status of professionals.
Finally in this group of questions we asked the respondents how they believe the market views Project Management at this time.
The respondents offered a result that once again presented an 80/20 split though this time in favour of the market seeing Project Management as an occupation.
So we have a result that suggests we have a situation where the individual practitioners aspire to be professional, they believe their function deserves professional recognition but are realistic enough to realise that the market (their employers) currently see the function as an occupation!
It would appear that we still have much work to do if we are to raise the bar and achieve the goal of professional recognition. The outer circles of our diagram are still evolving and need to push on to drive the profession forward not only with the family of practitioners but also in the wider public domain if this vision is to become a reality.
