Comments are highly appreciated! My view on processes, their design and the general pitfalls of processes in corporate environments. As an example, I added my view on how recruiting processes should work, which is a work in progress.
2. INPUT WHAT IS A PROCESS? OUTPUT
In engineering a process is a set of interrelated tasks
that, together, transform inputs into outputs.
3. EVERYTHING IS ISN’T A PROCESS
There are things and there are processes. A
process can make a thing into another thing, but
a thing is not a process.
4. A PROCESS ALWAYS
PRODUCES RESULTS
They will not automatically be good or even
the correct results, but it will always give out a
result.
6. PROCESSES ARE EVIL
Bad processes are the son of Satan, yes. Especially
those which are forcefully implemented. The good
ones we don’t even notice.
7. THE 3 PROBLEMS?
1. We don’t know why we have a process
2. We don’t know what the process is
3. We don’t know how to use the process
8. ONE
WHY DO WE HAVE A PROCESS?
Without everyone understanding the
benefit of the process, it’s really hard to
motivate people to follow it.
9. TWO
WHAT IS THE PROCESS?
If the people don’t understand what the process
does, what’s the input and the output, it creates
more problems than solves.
10. THREE
THE PROCESS IS A
PAIN IN THE ASS
This feeling usually stems from poor usability. An IT
system is a thing, not a process, but often people
think that a system is a process.
11. oo
E
THIS IS WHY PEOPLE USE
PROCESS AS A SWEAR WORD
We don’t know why we have a process, what it does
and even then it’s a pain in the ass to use because it
was designed for someone else but me.
12. SECRETLY, EVERYONE
WANTS A GOOD PROCESS
That’s why we copy the good ones constantly,
without even knowing them. “Did you see how
those guys do this and that, we should do this
and that too!”
14. ONE
NO PROCESS IS BETTER
THAN A BAD PROCESS
A bad process can be a road heading to the
wrong direction. We don’t want to go there.
Don’t develop processes because processes
are a must.
15. TWO
PEOPLE WILL ALWAYS PREFER
THE SHORTEST ROUTE
That’s a good thing. Don’t think them lazy,
think them efficient. They are on to a process,
improve on that.
16. THREE
NO ONE CARES OF YOUR
PRECIOUS IT SYSTEMS
A system is nothing but a tool, don’t assume
that buying a system will immediately
improve your work. It won’t.
17. FOUR
UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS
BEHIND THE PROCESS
If you can quantify your process, it’s much
easier to see its impact. Without real data,
you’re just guessing.
18. FIVE
IF THEY COMPLAIN, IT’S BROKEN
This is very simple: A good process helps
people be better and make it easier at their
work, not cause them more work.
19. beans
SIX
COMMUNICATE THE PROCESS
Don’t just implement – communicate and
inspire. Let people know why and what the
process is all about. Then listen.
20. O
buzzsaw
i
SEVEN
BUILD AROUND THE PROCESS
Once you understand your process, design it
usable. You might not have the tools to use
the process - even when the process is good.
21. EIGHT
CHANGE MANAGEMENT MEANS
YOU HAVE ALREADY FAILED
If people are fighting against the change, it
means the change is not for the good. Sure,
people resist, but if you provide something
better, they will use it.
22. NINE
START SMALL, GROW SLOWLY
A process shouldn’t be a massive megasloth.
Start with small, important issues and when
they work, go deeper.
ii
23. TEN
DON’T BE AFRAID TO FAIL
No process will be correct the first time
around. Try, test and iterate. That is the path
towards greatness.
24. 5
ELEVEN
MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC
We might have the most computing power
ever, but we’re using less automation than
ever. That has to change.
25. TWELVE
BREAK IT INTO PIECES, THEN
PUT IT BACK UP AGAIN
Everything is easier to understand, when it’s in
small enough parts. Imagine your process as a
pile of Legos.
26. THE THREE MAJOR STEPS
1. Learn why you have a process, turn it into numbers
2. Draw out and clean the process, communicate it
3. Design process tools that people want to use
29. “I CHOOSE A LAZY PERSON TO DO A HARD JOB.
BECAUSE A LAZY PERSON WILL FIND AN EASY WAY
TO DO IT.”
Bill Gates
Bill Gates
30. RECRUITMENT HAS ALWAYS
BEEN A PERSONAL THING.
It’s been handled face to face or at least
through the telephone. That model was based
on the concept of apprenticeship and comes
from a time of age long working careers.
31. 9.2 9.8 11.3
1976-1998 1996-2000 1978-2010
AVERAGE NUMBER OF JOBS HELD BETWEEN 18-46 YEAR OLDS IN THE USA
Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. Department of Labor
32. WE DON’T WANT A LONG
CAREER.
They want to earn when they need to and
they want to change often and the market has
responded to this.
33. WE CAN DIVIDE THE MASS
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
INTO FIFTEEN STEPS
34. Create a job Create interview Work contract
01 advertisement 06 lists 11 creation
Job posting Interview Offer other
02 finding 07 acceptance 12 suitable jobs
Interview
03 Job application 08 scheduling 13 Signing
Data gathering
04 and sorting 09 Final qualification 14 Starting
Participant
05 Initial qualification 10 messaging 15 Follow-up
35. Create a job
01 advertisement
GET GOOD DATA NOW,
BENEFIT LATER
The better data, the more automation we
are able to perform in the future.
Benefit: Create once, use many times. Better data from the start.
36. Job posting
02 finding
MAKE JOBS EASY TO FIND
AND SHARE
Once we have good data, we can share it into
many systems and user interfaces.
Benefit: API allows use in several channels with a single data input.
37. 03 Job application
ASK ONLY WHAT’S
NECESSARY
We defined the needed info, let’s stick to that.
Benefit: Better forms to deliver just the necessary
information and better data through design.
38. Data gathering
04 and sorting
AUTOMATIC STACKING
You don’t need all of the applications, weed
through them automatically.
Benefit: Less time used because less applications to go through
39. 05 Initial qualification
SPECIFY PARAMETERS
AND EXECUTE
Poor matches are automatically refused, stored
and sent a “thank you for participating” message.
Benefit: Keep people happy by letting them know that you’re not interested and not
waste your own time doing so.
40. Create interview
06 lists
SIZABLE CHUNKS
AUTOMATICALLY
Don’t make a list of a million names, make
twenty lists of ten people instead.
Benefit: Easy to use and quick lists, already put on schedule into right size groups
41. Interview
07 acceptance
SCHEDULE INTERVIEWS
AUTOMATICALLY
Accept your interview with a simple airport style
SMS with a YES/NO option for a pre-selected time.
Benefit: Less hassle, less options means fuller group interviews and automation means
less calls made in order to get the interviews
42. Interview
08 scheduling
LET PEOPLE DECIDE AND
ROBOTS HANDLE THE REST
Automatic scheduling and conflict solving.
The less calls, the more functionalinterviews
Benefit: Less manual work, more time to actually prepare for the
it gets.
Benefit: Less manual work, more time to actually prepare for the interviews
43. 09 Final qualification
THE TOOLS TO MAKE
THE DECISIONS
Give the interviewer a tool to view and
recommend people for jobs in the same tool.
Benefit: Better communication, all the tools and info ready at the interview
44. Participant
10 messaging
LESS MANUAL LABOUR
Once the decision is made, the system
automatically sends a message to all.
Benefit: A happy client is a good client
45. Work contract
11 creation
AUTOMATIC CONTRACTS
Once the best ones have been found, the
system will send the proper work contracts.
Benefit: No copies of files, no downloads or attachments, clean and thorough process
46. Offer other
12 suitable jobs
IF NOT THIS THEN THAT
A lot of people will not get the job, can we
match then with others we have?
Benefit: You only hire a small part, why waste the rest?
47. 13 Signing
MULTI-PURPOSE TOOLS
Use the interview tool to schedule a signing time
with approved candidates if they can’t sign online.
Benefit: If you already built it, it’s good to use it more often
48. 14 Starting
FIRST TIME USER
It’s nicer to start a new job when you have all
the relevant information available.
Benefit: Happier clients, better results and a good start for the new job
49. 15 Follow-up
STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR
FORMER EMPLOYEES
Keep contacting your chosen ones when a
good match hits the scanner.
Benefit: You already chose them once, they might be good enough for another job
50. THIS IS A STARTING POINT
FOR IMPROVEMENT AND
DESIGN
51. buzzsaw
i
THANK YOU
ALL TEXT AND ILLUSTRATIONS BY
oo
Markus Sandelin
E
@banton
markus@kingmuffin.com
5