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Subject:RE: Setting up a Tech Comm Department From:"Sean Brierley" <sbri -at- haestad -dot- com> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 1 Jul 2002 10:39:21 -0400
I've done this kind of thing before. Hire me. LOL!
1) Get management buy-in. It sounds funny, but they have to sort of buy
into the professionalism of the dept. I have run into situations where
there can be political pressure to hire unqualified personnel . . . etc.
You need enough rope to hang yourself.
2) Figure out where you want to go short term and long. That is,
probably setting up this department is very last-minute and you have
some really short deadlines to meet up-front.
3) Expect effort from those you hire, make no bones about it. But,
reward with things like off-site training, and other intangibles every
so often, etc. Personally, I like this job because of the opportunity to
learn . . . I love going to a conference every year and get bummed if I
cannot. It's work, but it's a fun perk, too.
4) If you are starting a group, you will need an experienced tool-user
up-front, to be productive immediately. But, you can also hire a good
writers and include training on the software as part of their
initiation--it's a good start to a new job to be given the training you
need to get the job done. That is, yes, feel free to hire a writer or
two who are ignorant of the tools but sharp; however, you will need to
be productive off-the-bat, so also hire someone who can get things done
with little-to-no learning curve.
. . ..
And, what Goober said.
Cheers,
Sean
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