Giving my boss unsolicited advice
February 17, 2010 3:57 AM Subscribe
How can I give my boss unsolicited hiring advice?
This is my second year with a small IT outfit that does equal parts talking to clients and solving technical problems. External constraints require that everyone rotate out after three years, and there isn't a big pool from which to fill the holes. The year I was hired was the only year in our history that we had more applicants than slots. In some cases, we've hired people who literally couldn't take a Mac out of the box and plug in the cables if they were handed all the pieces, the manual, and internet access.
As a result, despite having no formal responsibilities, I've somehow become involved in almost every area except inventory and maintaining our legacy emulation environment. I've tried to document the systems I maintain, and encourage other people to take on more technical work, but I don't think it's just hubris speaking when I say that my departure next year will leave a hole. This is a problem because the seniority histogram is skewed right now, and fully half the current employees are scheduled to leave the same year. That includes all but one of the people who do technical work. So my hole will be one of many.
I want to convince my boss to find replacements for as many of his technical people in this year's cycle as he can, so that they have time to get up to speed. This will require a significant change in his hiring policies, which at the moment require a recommendation from a current employee and don't seem to ask for anything in the way of a technical background. How do I first ask him to explain his hiring policy, and then persuade him to change parts of it, without insulting my colleagues or challenging his authority?
This is my second year with a small IT outfit that does equal parts talking to clients and solving technical problems. External constraints require that everyone rotate out after three years, and there isn't a big pool from which to fill the holes. The year I was hired was the only year in our history that we had more applicants than slots. In some cases, we've hired people who literally couldn't take a Mac out of the box and plug in the cables if they were handed all the pieces, the manual, and internet access.
As a result, despite having no formal responsibilities, I've somehow become involved in almost every area except inventory and maintaining our legacy emulation environment. I've tried to document the systems I maintain, and encourage other people to take on more technical work, but I don't think it's just hubris speaking when I say that my departure next year will leave a hole. This is a problem because the seniority histogram is skewed right now, and fully half the current employees are scheduled to leave the same year. That includes all but one of the people who do technical work. So my hole will be one of many.
I want to convince my boss to find replacements for as many of his technical people in this year's cycle as he can, so that they have time to get up to speed. This will require a significant change in his hiring policies, which at the moment require a recommendation from a current employee and don't seem to ask for anything in the way of a technical background. How do I first ask him to explain his hiring policy, and then persuade him to change parts of it, without insulting my colleagues or challenging his authority?
Being proactive about how to improve productivity or avoid a long ramp-up time isn't challenging your boss' authority, it's helping your boss to make his job easier. I think if a face-to-face meeting where you discuss what you've noticed about the upcoming lack of technical people in the future when you and others leave is probably the best way to handle it.
Don't phrase it as a way to change your boss' non-working policy, but a way to anticipate and solve a problem you see coming down the road. So instead of saying, "The way you hire is going to leave you up the river," present it as, "This proactive approach will save X time, X dollars and X headaches."
posted by xingcat at 6:08 AM on February 17, 2010
Don't phrase it as a way to change your boss' non-working policy, but a way to anticipate and solve a problem you see coming down the road. So instead of saying, "The way you hire is going to leave you up the river," present it as, "This proactive approach will save X time, X dollars and X headaches."
posted by xingcat at 6:08 AM on February 17, 2010
I like heyforfour's approach. "I'm getting closer to entering my last year, and I'd like to discuss how to ensure a smooth transition when I graduate next year." Then discuss transition plans. Documentation (check). Trainings. Identifying a person to take over some of your key responsibilities. Etc.
Once you have offered to think through a smooth transition for your departure, it is an easy step to, "I created a quick chart of who is leaving in what year, categorized by people's main activity/skill-area." As you point out what you discovered, it could lead into the discussion you want.
posted by salvia at 7:18 AM on February 17, 2010
Once you have offered to think through a smooth transition for your departure, it is an easy step to, "I created a quick chart of who is leaving in what year, categorized by people's main activity/skill-area." As you point out what you discovered, it could lead into the discussion you want.
posted by salvia at 7:18 AM on February 17, 2010
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Such a project might include documenting standards/practices (beyond what you've already done), identifying the various strengths of current technical workers and how they serve the needs of the company, and making recommendations about what you need from this years' hires to maintain those strengths.
posted by heyforfour at 5:03 AM on February 17, 2010