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Published: itSMF Australia - February 2000
ServiceTalk - The Journal of the itSMF - August 2000
IT SERVICE MANAGEMENT - MAKING IT HAPPEN
Karen Ferris
The success or failure of IT Service Management within an organisation can be dependent on having the right staff in the management positions.
“Things do not happen in this world, they are brought about” - John M. Hay
In the words of Dale Carnegie: “The key to managing through people is to have the best possible people through who to manage. Good people are not easy to identify, locate and develop, yet personnel is the most important ingredient in the recipe for successful management”.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
It is imperative that we enter the staff selection process with a clear view of the criteria on which we will make our selection.
The majority of IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) modules within Service Support and Service Delivery contain job descriptions and attributes for the person responsible for a particular discipline.
It is useful to consolidate these and look at some of the generic attributes and skills required by IT Service Management Managers. (These are in no specific order or priority).
- Knowledge of ITIL (it may be that you specify a level of qualification required i.e. Foundation, Practitioner or Management level certification)
- Good interpersonal skills
- Good communication skills
- Staff management and leadership skills
- Project Management
- Sound IT knowledge and experience
- Budgetary management skills
- Business acumen
- Customer focus
- Motivational skills
The job descriptions contained within ITIL can also be consolidated and a generic list of responsibilities collated. (These are in no specific order or priority).
- Implementation of the Service Management discipline(s) including project management
- Budget acquisition and optimal use of finances
- Objective setting
- Scope determination
- Awareness and marketing campaign
- Recruitment and training of staff
- Ensure efficiency and effectiveness of function
- Evaluation and procurement of tools
- Audit of the discipline
- Implementation of remedial actions for shortfalls
- Regular reviews of staff performance
- Monitoring of metrics and management reporting
- Establishment of procedures
- Knowledge of latest technologies pertinent to the discipline
- Knowledge of industry trends pertinent to the discipline
- Implement and maintain effective interfaces with other Service Management disciplines and other areas within IT and the business
- Attendance at the Change Advisory Board as required
- Ensuring most effective combination of staff and technology is employed
Each discipline will require unique skills and attributes in addition to the generic ones described. These will need to be identified and the selection process designed to ensure that they are acquired. For example, a Problem Manager will require strong analytical and problem solving skills, and a Service Level Manager will need excellent negotiation skills, patience and resilience.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
There are four steps in the selection process:
- The application
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The evaluation
- The reference
The Application
It is useful to request that applicants complete a standard application form even if a curriculum vitae has been submitted. This allows easier comparison of one candidate with another.
In selecting management staff I have found a useful technique is to request that the applicants provide a written response to specific questions. The questions should aim to determine the applicant’s “real” understanding of the position for which they are applying and their ability to put their knowledge and experience into practice.
Although unpopular with some applicants, a request for three written answers, each 1500 words or less, will ensure you only get responses from those who are serious about their application. The questions may relate to specific issues currently existing within the organisation. For example, a question for a Problem Manager may be:
“Within this organisation, responsibility for applications development and support; small systems development, installation and support; operations including managing the hardware and environmental maintenance contracts; and communications installation and support; are all separate and some are outside of the IT Service Centre in which Problem Management will reside. What difficulties, if any, do you envisage there could be in establishing organisation wide Problem Management and how would you overcome them?"
The responses to the questions assist in determining which applicants are to be considered for interview and acts as a very effective filter technique.
The responses also provide excellent discussion material for the interview, assisting in determining the applicants thought processes.
The Interview
An interview must be structured to obtain information about the applicant, their qualifications, knowledge and experience.
It is also a two-way discussion. The interview should also be used to provide the applicant with information about the organisation and the position for which they are applying. This should be an honest provision of information, (albeit maintaining company confidentiality), so that the applicant is clear about the job (e.g. scope, staffing levels, boundaries, restrictions), and the organisation (e.g. culture and beliefs, mission, objectives).
Not everyone is able to interview effectively. It is essential that some training be undertaken in effective interview techniques. Where necessary ask assistance from the Personnel or HR department in the interview process. Employment of inappropriate personnel is not only costly but can have devastating effects on staff morale and credibility of the IT Service Management function, - including yourself.
The Evaluation
Various evaluation techniques are available. Some employers may utilise psychological interviews and tests to evaluate the applicants work preferences, leadership strengths, decision making, interpersonal skills, team-building and general personality traits. This can be expensive but can prove cost justified in order to obtain the right people for management positions.
Responses to the questions provided with the application forms can assist the evaluation process. As mentioned earlier, the responses can provide excellent discussion material to determine a candidate’s thought processes and preferred working methods.
All applicants should be evaluated against the selection criteria (skills, attributes and ability to fulfil the job description). Prior to evaluation the criteria should be specified as mandatory or optional. Suitable applicants MUST meet all mandatory requirements.
The Reference
Usually, references are written. However, consideration should be given to telephone references. It is much easier to determine the truth about a candidate from a conversation than from the written word. Ensure the telephone conversation is structured and the same questions are asked of each previous employer for each candidate. This allows comparisons to be drawn between the candidates.
Finally, you can choose the successful candidate. Even though the process is time consuming and therefore costly, it cannot be stressed how important it is to get the right staff in the right positions first time.
INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL?
Do we recruit internally or externally? There is no right answer. If possible, given the right staff, recruit internally. This demonstrates to other staff that there is opportunity for progression within the organisation.
However, do not promote a person into a position for which they are not suitable purely because they are the “logical” successor.
If there are no suitable people within the organisation then recruitment externally will have to take place. There are external agencies able to assist in the recruitment process and in some cases (i.e. in UK) there are agencies that specialise only in ITIL qualified staff.
The advantage of recruitment from external sources is the injection of new ideas and concepts.
Make use of the resources at your disposal as they can prove cost effective in the long term.
Karen Ferris Copyright © 2002 KMF Advance. All rights reserved.
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